To Live and Die in Italia
by Step Daughter Rachel
Summary: Tammy's journey to find her lost family.
1. Chapter 1

GsB 0b: To Live and Die in Italia. (A Gunslinger Bink Prequel)

This story started out following GsB 0:The Gadget Infinity. It follows Tammy in search of her family in Italy and the ordeals she has went through.

Main Characters:

Fernando G.– a time traveling blind squirrel, member of the CDRR Ambulance Corps, age 43 but stopped aging since age 36, thus he says he's 36. He wears a pair of dark glasses out of necessity, and tends to know more than he leads on. Rumors has it that he was a CIA Agent and married during the 1980s, but has long since retired although this would put him at almost 50 years old and not 43 or even 36. With him, things are not what they seem at times. He is only mentioned in the story.

Tammy Squirrel – Young Teenage Squirrel, once had a crush on Chip, graduated from The Acorn Academy High School. She is in her second year of College studying the medical sciences, age going on 20 when she beings this trip. She is trying to end her wishy-washy fraidy-cat personality; but something seems to bring her back down. Her sister is Bink, age 10

Rebecca Squirrel – Mother of Tammy and Bink, starting dating Christiano Polancco who is a multi-billionaire in Italy though she is unaware of his wealth until after she marries him, age 40. She takes Bink to Italy while Tammy stays in their home to finish her studies.

Bink Squirrel – younger sister of Tammy Squirrel and youngest daughter of Rebecca Squirrel. When Rebecca Squirrel gets married to Christiano Polancco and they move to Italy, Bink goes with them. She is age 10.

Johan, Alfonse, Romeo, Julius, and Dante Polancco – ages 28 to 21, sons of the murdered Joseph Polancco and heirs to the Polancco Estate. Multi-Billionaires in their own rite with business holding in their father's companies and CEOs of their own Internet content media creation companies. Like their father, they have a dark side in being involved with Italian's underground and political terrorists. Due to the marriage to their father to Tammy's mother, they are stepbrothers to her as she is their stepsister. For the most part they do not to do anything with her and want to make sure she does not get any part of the Polancco Estate inheritance. They will look like they are helping her when they are not.

Maria, Estrella, Sophia, Anna and Julietta Polancco – ages 26 to 20, daughters of the murdered Joseph Polannco and heirs to the Polancco estate. Most are multi-millionaires and multi-billionaires in their own rite. Like the boys, they are CEOs of their own companies.

Glenda Red-Squirrel – age 19 – 20. Lived in Boston most of her life, went to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the world's leading universities for the fashion industry) to study art, culture and fashion. She then transferred to the University of Milan to study abroad and follow in the steps of many fashion designers. Unlike Tammy, she is an experienced bi-sexual female where in her past she has had sex with her boyfriends and girlfriends. Her excuse, "I like both. One got too if they are going into the fashion industry." But the only good thing in this is she is not a chicken hawk and is usually in the receiving end of such relationships. But in that, she is always starving for attention, finding Tammy to be willing in satisfying that hunger.

Mr. And Mrs. Marino – age 81 – 84. Building owner since WWII, raised a large family and now rents the rooms their children used to live in to college students. Tammy managed to get a room from them in mid October. Tammy and nine college students all rents private room and board from them. Their three story brown stone house is located between the University of Milan and the tourist center of the city.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: Leaving, on a Jet Plane  
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The ride to John F. Kennedy International AirPort only took two hours by train, to the Howard Beach/JFK Airport train station on the A Train. But it begins with a midnight walk to the local train station where she would switch to a late A-Train downtown. She thinks on what to do once she gets to Italy, though the eight-hour plane ride would give the rest and sleep she needs.

From the train to a free transfer on an airport bound bus, Tammy makes her way to the Air Italia Terminal. There was an airport monorail but at double the subway price, she decides to save money on the expense of time instead. She still has time to board her 3:40AM Flight.

Once at the terminal, she stops by a kiosk to verify her flight and print out her tickets. She also goes to a currency exchange center to convert her cash to Italian Euros. Her next stop would be the ticket counter where she turns in her ticket and has her passport checked. The counter person requested for her to put her bag on the scale for weigh-in.

She takes back her bag to carry on the plane and waits at the lobby area by the gate. Another half hour before the boarding gate is open and an hour before take off; she waits patiently, thinking how things could have been better if she did not pawn her Sony Play Station Portable or iPod Touch. But instead she has to deal with planning what she was going to do in a country far away past the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

The lobby's loud speakers lets but a loud message, "Air Italia Flight 477 is boarding on Gate 14-L! Line up at Gate 14-L for Air Italia Flight 477! And have your boarding passes ready!"

Tammy manages to get on the line before it gets filled with some 200 passengers boarding the early morning flight. She gets on the rear of the plane, a 747-L series, used for long distance and high passenger count. In less than a few minutes she manages to get her bag in the overhead compartment bin and into her seat as the other passengers were still boarding. She was lucky to get a window seat; she is able to look out the window to see the ground crew loading the aircraft cargo and connecting a fuel hose to the wing. Other fuel hoses were connected to the other wing and center part of the aircraft but Tammy could not see them.

In half an hour the plane was being towed to the tarmac by a tow vehicle as the pilot and crew check on their flight manifest and prepares the aircraft for the long flight to Italy. Once the tow vehicle parks the plane on runway 51-L, the jet engines are turned on. A panel at the front of the cabin section is turned on saying "Please Fasten Your Safety Belt", as the pilot repeats the message over the loud speaker. The stewardesses check on the passengers and head to the rear of the plane to the stewardess' galley when all the passengers are belted in. Unseen by the passengers is the head stewardess of each section calling the pilot that everyone was belted in before the plane starts its roll down the runway. Once it picks up over a hundred miles per hour, the front of the plane lifts up off the ground first before the rest of the planes wheels do. Without friction of the tarmac below, the 747 starts to increase its speed, allowing its wings to gain more lift and increase its altitude from the ground.

Soon it clears the runway and makes its way across Jamaica Bay and towards the waters of the Atlantic. It will be another eight hours before it lands.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Roam  
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Tammy sleeps through most of the flight across the Atlantic. Waking up she looks out the window and sees the Straits of Gibraltar approaching under them. She can only think that in another hour or so she would be landing Malpensa International Airport, also known to tourists as Milan International. Only knowing that she had made this trip once before when her mother got married over a year ago to this Polancco guy who she did not trust, she thinks to herself of some of the various places she should go. The Italian Police would be the first place to go, she thinks.

The panel in front of the cabin section is turned on saying, "Please Fasten Your Safety Belt", as the pilot repeats the message over the loudspeaker and saying that they were getting ready to land in Malpensa International Airport. In another 40 minutes they touch ground on the runway and make their way across the tarmac to the gate. The bridge extends to the airplane from the terminal before the doors open. The passengers prepare themselves to leave the plane as they gather their belonging from the overhead bins. Tammy gathers her backpack and leaves with the flow of passengers out of the rear doorway.

She steps onto the loading area and looks around, looking herself as if she was lost, for she was lost. She knew the airport was within the city Milan but at the very outskirts of it. Eventually she takes what little Italian she knows and makes her way to the outdoor area. She understands that Milano Centro was Central Milan in Italian and manages to find a bus with that on its sign. She gets on it and takes a seat in the rear of the bus, thinking the 30 Euro price was a bit high. But a taxicab from airport would have cost her six times more.

The bus lets out in the middle of the tourist district. She looks around and finds a street directory marking off the various streets, sites and hotels on a map. She studies it and pulls out a paper with directions to the scooter rental and hotel, but neither was not on the map. An information booth was nearby but closed, lucky for her there were maps of the city in plastic holders. She grabs a few different pamphlets and makes her way to a public area where she can sit down to study them.

It takes her a while to find the places she had marked out for renting transportation and a room. Finding her way to the scooter rental, she drives around and finds her hotel, where she gets her room key and freshens up. It was in the six in the afternoon when she gets up and decides to go to the main police station in the middle of Milan.

It takes a couple of hours to find an English-speaking officer. Though he and a supervising officer were there to hear her story, they refused to believe that this American trash was related to the Billionaire Polancco family. Thus she is given the run-a-round and wasted her time even though much of her story was verified to be true. In the end they tell her that there was not much they could do and send her on her way home to her hotel room. She did not know she was followed. Without eating she goes to bed like she took her ride to the hotel – crying.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Living in America  
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She wakes up the next day with a new resolve to find out more information. She goes the police station in hopes to get further than she did before. Again several hours were spent with a comment of "don't come back unless you have more proof." She decides to the library where maybe she could make more connections on their Internet connection.

Google searches for 'Polancco' brings up news reports of a family being slaughtered, but Tammy did not make the connection because in her mind, "There was no way my mother married a billionaire industrialist. Especially when this guy is considered as a political terrorist!"

A reverse phone number look up gives her a name of 'Joseph Polancco' and an address several miles out of Milan. Google Maps gave her directions to get there though images of the area were deliberately blurred out. She manages to get printed pages of the information.

Looking at the time she sees it's getting late. She also realizes that to her stomach, it was getting late. She packs up her things and step out of the library. The restaurants in the area looks expensive, so she decides to take a walk and maybe find something more to her money's liking. Within a few blocks she finds the 'hole in the wall places', which offers food at a lower rate than those in the main streets. She finds it impossible to believe that there was a Chinese restaurant in the row of eateries. She goes in and orders a take-out dinner to take with her to the hotel.

There was nothing to watch on the TV other than the news channels and the pumped in porn. This gives her more time to study her printed notes and eat her cold dinner. It was early when she went to sleep.

The following day she wakes up early and heads out to find an eatery that served breakfast. But breakfast was American meal and one not served in Europe except in American based hotels with their Continental Meals Service. She did manage to find a bakery to serve her a buttered roll and coffee. She sits on her rented scooter and has her meal before heading off.

It takes her more time than she thought as she took the side streets along the highway instead of the highway itself. Eventually she makes it to a small town outside of Milan and to a long road that runs by a large fenced in farming area. She continues, thinking whether she is on the wrong road or not. Eventually she comes up onto a gated area with the right address, which was opened. She turns in and rides down the paved path to a large house, which she remembers from the wedding's reception. "Why would mom's phone number would lead to the place rented for the reception?", Tammy thought.

Coming to a circled path in front of the house, she notices several expensive cars with the Mercedes emblem on them parked in front of the house. She parks the scooter not too far from the main door and rings the doorbell. No one answers as she waits for a couple of minutes. "How can the place be empty if there are cars parked in front of it.", she thought. She decides walk around the house to the back in hopes to find somebody there.

It takes her a few minutes to get to the rear of the house because of its immense size. In the wedding she remembered going through the house to get to the rear. There were five men there in suits discussing something in Italian.

"Ahem...!", Tammy lets out. The men turn around with a couple of them drawing out guns and aim them at her. She immediately raises her hands and shouts out "Inglis! Inglis!"

They look at her in bewilderment, thinking in Italian, "English? Who is this person?" They slowly approach her, knowing English themselves, one of them asks, "Who are you?"

"Thank god you speak English. I am Tammy Squirrel. Rebecca Squirrel's oldest daughter from America.", Tammy answers.

"Who is Rebecca Squirrel?", another asks.

Another turns to the first in Italian, "Didn't father marry an American Bitch named Rebecca?" They look at each other, both saying in Italian, "No way."

The first turns to Tammy, "Why are you where? You came all this way from America?"

"Yes. Uhm…I don't know what happened but when no one was returning my calls and my letters were being sent back, I just want to know that happened to my mother and little sister!", Tammy starts to say and then lets out and then begins to cry.

"I see the American scum came to get its claim to the family property.", one the men says in Italian.

"Leave it alone, Alfonse. Something tells me she is not here for that.", another tells him in Italian as well.

"Why don't we just shoot her and leave her in the fields?", a third says in Italian.

"That goes for you too. Let me figure out what this is about and then send her on her way.", the second lets them know in Italian.

"Yeah right. Johan, you got one hour to send her away before I decide to let her blood fertilize the vineyard's soil.", the third tells him in their native language.

"Romeo, you and Alfonse put away your guns so I can start working on her.", Johan tells him in Italian.

"I'll be right there to witness this.", a fourth one says. The fifth one shakes his head leaves.

Johan steps to Tammy, taking her hand and telling her to follow him inside the house. He takes her to the Recreation Room from the rear of the house. He leads her into the room and tells her to have a seat in one of other several chairs in the room. He takes one and carries it to where Tammy was sitting. He sits down hunched over looking at the floor for a moment with his hands folded. Then he straightens up and looks at her.

"You know nothing of what happened here?", Johan asks.

"Isn't this where my mother has her wedding reception with this Polancco guy?", Tammy asks.

He tries to hold back his laughter and angered emotions, biting the inside of his lower lip for a second. "How can I say this? That Polancco Guy is my father and those outside are my brothers. This is our estate where he lived.", he tells her. Her jaw drops in disbelief. "So that was your mother? Well, I don't know what to say but I think that makes you our step-sister. But we're not happy with what happened here. This place is far from the land of the free and home of the brave."

"What happened here?", Tammy asks.

"A crime of some sort happened here. Our father and youngest brother were killed, and your mother and sister cannot be found. We have been cleaning the place since the police gave it back to us. They say that they were not involved but you cannot blame us for any animosity the family may have against your mother and sister.", Johan explains.

"But...", Tammy tries to say. "The phone calls, the returned letters."

"So you were trying to contact them, you have any proof?", Johan asks.

Tammy goes into her backpack and pulls out several envelopes addressed to the place, each having been 'returned to sender.' She hands them over to him, and then the last month's phone bill with calls to the place where the answering machine picked up. He looks them over with interest.

"I see.", he hands them back to her. "Look, I don't know what to say.", he begins to pull out his wallet and counts off several Euros in thousand and five hundred denominations. He reaches to her with the letters, telephone bills, the money and a business card slipped into the bills. She looks at the money and then tries to take the letters and telephone bills by pulling on them to slide through his fingers without taking the cash. As she takes back her papers, he flips the money and has it land on her lap. "If this is a better time, you would be welcomed. But this is not a good time. Go Home. Don't come back unless you have proof that your mother and sister were not involved in our father's murder. And do yourself a favor; get yourself something bigger than a Vespa." He then hands her a credit card, similar to the one her mother gave her but instead of it being Black-World Elite MasterCard or a Crystal Sapphire Blue Visa card, it was American Express Black.

"Knowing the likes of you Americans, with your tastes you will not be spending much on that card, though it has a bottomless credit line. I expect you not to be renting expensive cars with it, but get something to give yourself some good transportation. I recommend a Fiat.", Johan tells her. "Now go home. The door outside is that way.", he then points to a far door.

Tammy takes a few moments to recompose her self and puts the papers and money away in her backpack. She slowly gets up and walks out through the door with her backpack. A few moments later she was on her scooter, taking a moment to think about what happened and where she was going. Soon she would be on the road, making her way back to Milan.

It took her three hours to get there, and it's taking longer than that to get back to her hotel room. She is in no condition to be riding a scooter, let alone a motor vehicle. But she does, and worse, gets on the highway. Though the scooter can do 120KPH, she does not go over 45KPH. Eventually she makes it back to the motel, spending another night crying her self to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: A Month in Solitude.  
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September goes into October and she goes through the information she has gathered over the many days, not accepting that her mother had married into a billionaire family, or that she was part of his murder. Though it's only been a couple of weeks, she had to extend the rental of her hotel room and the scooter. At least the money given to her by her stepbrother had helped out in not using the credit cards. He had given her some seventeen thousand Euros as if it was single dollar bills being given to a kid. She still has over fifteen thousand as she counts down the bits of money and information she had gathered.

As she goes through copies of news articles that state of the Polancco Massacre, having them copied and translated at the library. The thing that bothers her is the difference between what her stepbrother had told her and what the newspapers are saying. Though the newspapers say that "Mr. Polancco's wife was killed", not all say that a young daughter was killed or if there was a daughter at all. In calling Johan Polancco, he tells her that the police gave false information to the newspapers to keep the newspapers at bay and not writing scandalous stories about a possible family suicide. He warns her not to call him unless she has absolute proof that her mother was not involved in their father's murder.

It was not until she finds one of the more rogue tabloids does she finds the evidence she needed. On the front cover are pictures of the Polancco estate with the victims being removed from the house: though the largest picture was of the lord of the domain, Mr. Joseph Polancco himself, there are to more pictures of gurneys being pulled out with their victims – one has an adult female squirrel and another has smaller female squirrel child. She looks at them, dripping her tears onto the bottom of the page where the translated notes were. She crumples the paper and clutches it to her chest.

She thinks about calling her stepbrother of the news but he would probably deny as tabloid fodder. Thus she changes her mind on contacting him. Instead she reads the news article and takes down notes stating who, what, where and why. In the coming days she searches more into the news to the night of the event. Details come up that a child had survived the massacre.

In gathering the information, her Italian has improved greatly though not still fluent. As time passes, as her Italian improves so does the cold winds signing the coming of winter behind the falling of the leaves of autumn. She did not bring heavier clothes to take on the chilling winds thinking that her search would have only lasted a couple of weeks. A hospital name is gathered in the newspapers: Milan National General Hospital. It does not take long for her to find an address for the hospital. After showering up and getting dressed, she puts on her Rescue Rangers jacket and cap. Putting on her backpack with the papers put in to take out easily, she gets on the scooter and makes a mad dash to the hospital.

Like the police, the hospital gives her the run around about the confidentiality of patient information and delays her progress. There were some sympathetic hospital employees who looked at her paperwork and find them to be true and her related to the little girl that was brought in a dire condition months ago. But it takes too long for her patience. Out of frustration she gathers her papers and leaves. As she puts on her backpack at the scooter, a hospital employee steps in front of her. She looks at her, as office worker from the patient information office stood in front of her scooter.

"Miss Squirrel," she said in English with a very thick Italian accent and holding a pad of sticky notes and a pen, "I may lose mi job but you need to know that your sist-hur may have been here. Give me you email and I will sent you what I know."

Tammy thinks about it, and then takes the pen and pad from the office worker. She fills out her full information on in along with her email. The office worker nods and then leaves to enter back in the hospital.

Tammy sits on the scooter for longer than a moment. After shaking her head, she stuffs the cap into her jacket and puts on the helmet. The engine gets turned on and revved a couple of times. Checking the belt of the helmet under her chin, she lets out a sigh and pushes the scooter off its kickstand. She picks up speed on the parking lot and gets on the street.

It was already nighttime with the hotel in view, Tammy continues forward into the intersection as she sees the light being green for her to proceed. But like in America, Italy has its fair share of drunken drivers who drive through red lights. All she heard was the high-pitched growl of a four-cylinder engine approaching to her fast. She slows down to turn and looks down the intersection, and only sees the highlights of a light-colored Fiat, just feet from her in high speed. She was lucky it clips her rear tire hub and not her, forcing her to spin out from behind and fall to the floor. She continues to spin and slide on the asphalt for another ten meters. Her helmet bounces off the hard asphalt ground and the concrete of the sidewalk several times with her head inside it.

There were many witnesses including several traffic cameras recording everything. Several tried to get her to get up but she was out cold. Another tried to take her backpack but the police arrived in time before she could be made a crime victim again. An ambulance arrives a few minutes later. The scooter itself is a wreck and sent to the police impound.

The Ambulance brings her to San Antonio Hospital. The leather Rescue Ranger jacket and helmet saved her from more severe injuries but it does not save her from any injuries. Several blows to the head had knocked her out cold.

While under treatment, her property was taken and itemized by the Italian police. Seeing that she was part of the American Rescue Rangers team, the US Ambassador in Rome was notified of her presence and condition. It only takes a couple of days for an US Envoy to arrive. But Tammy does not wake up for another two more days. Eventually after talking with a hospital doctor about what happened, she is given orders to stay for another three more days for tests and observations. During this time, she is met with the police and then with the US Envoy. The police try to make the accident look like it's her fault when it wasn't and warned her not to scooter ride again.

The US Envoy walks in, a proud red squirrel himself and visits Tammy for the three days she was told to stay. But he asks the same questions.

"Why are you here?", he asks.

"I'm looking for my mother and sister. I fear something may have happened to them.", Tammy answers.

"Why have you not come to ask for help?", he asks.

"I do not know, but I figured I could do it alone.", Tammy answers.

"Well, look at you; in the hospital from a traffic accident, from this little investigation of yours. What do you have say for your self?", he tries to shake her down.

"I don't know. And I don't know how you can help. Everywhere I went too I was met with opposition, lies and delays in finding my mother and sister.", Tammy tells her.

"Who are your mother and sister? Why are they here?", the envoy asks.

"Before moving to Italy, my mother's name was Rebecca Squirrel. She married some guy by the name of Joseph Polancco and a couple of months ago I lost contact with them...", she tries to explain.

"Wait. What proof you have that your mother married Joseph Polancco? He and his family were murdered two months ago.", he asks and says.

"My proof is in... Where's my bag?", Tammy asks.

"Its probably in the hospital custody until they give it to you when you leave.", the envoy explains. "Anyways. You are not to further your investigation until you see me first."

Tammy nods in agreement but does not want too. He tosses a business card onto her lap.

"That's my contact information. Call me when you leave this place.", he tells her. He then gets up and leaves.

Between the second and third days she is given some physical therapy to check for lasting injuries, finding none. Lucky her.

On the fourth day she is given her things to leave the hospital. Somehow her luck holds out even more as everything was still where it was and nothing missing, not even the money she had stashed in the middle of the bag. She takes her clothes from the backpack and changes into them. Before she goes she is given a last meal and is escorted out of the hospital in a wheel chair.

As she steps out into the sidewalk outside of the hospital, a man in a hat and suit approaches her, "Your ride it this way."

"What ride?", Tammy asks.

"The ride to your hotel, Ms Squirrel.", the man in a hat and suit tells her.

"And if I refuse?", Tammy asks.

The man in a hat and suit steps up to her and pulls out a gun from his suit jacket, "Do not make this any more trouble than it is necessary."

Looking at the gun, Tammy sees no option to run or yell but to step into the limousine. After closing the door, the locks kick in and trap her inside; she finds others in the car with her. The man in a hat and suit steps into the driver's seat and drives the drives vehicle.

"I told you to call me when you are discharged.", a recognizable voice tells her.

"Sir?", Tammy asks, not knowing his name.

"As an envoy to the ambassador, I carry the title 'Agent.' Agent Dole, you should have read my card.", he tells her. All Tammy could do is nod. He continues, "I brought somebody with me, I hope you will enjoy this little family reunion."

All Tammy can do is turn to look at the other person at the other side of the passenger compartment. "You? What are you doing here?", she almost complains.

"With all due regrets, stepsister, I never gave you my name. It's Johan. Johan Polancco. I just heard about your accident by this person of high authority as asked me to come see you.", Johan explains. "He explained to me that by the paper work he and his staff researched proves our relations... stepsister."

"But you told me not to bother you or your family without any further proof or I would be sorry that I did. I did not set this up.", Tammy tries to explain.

"Though I am not happy with what happened, he proved that the police investigation shows that there were several people involved and that your mother was killed in the stairway of the house, far from the bedroom where father was killed. Fingerprints were not found but a latex residue was, saying that who ever killed them wore rubber gloves. Your mother was found not wearing any gloves. Furthermore bullets found at the scene did not match, implicating more than one shooter was in the house at the time of the massacre. Look, I had just found out myself about this. At least it frees your mother from any implications against my father.", Johan explains.

"What about Bink?", Tammy asks.

"Bink?", Johan asks.

"My little sister. She was about 10, and living with mom.", Tammy explains.

"Oh, the girl. There was a lot of blood found in her room, but I do not know what has happened to her or whether she is dead or alive. She just disappeared into obscurity.", Johan tries to explain.

"I am sorry about the news. Anything you may have would be a great help.", Agent Dole tells her.

"I have too much to do. The police want to see me about the accident, and I have to figure out how to pay for the scooter somehow.", Tammy says out loud but to herself.

"You do not have to talk to the police about the accident, that was taken cared of by my staff after they found out the light as green in your favor when you got hit. They are still looking for the driver of the car to arrest him.", Agent Dole tells her.

"The scooter is also paid for, Tammy.", Johan tells her, "Most importantly the Italian government will be issuing you a ten thousand euro victims' check for your assorted bills and recovery. And you do not have to worry about the hospital bill, everyone in Italy gets free hospital and medical care."

Tammy sits there no knowing what to say or how to say it.

"We are here, sir.", the driver of the limousine tells them.

"Good. Tammy, I will request that you do not further your investigation for the next few days as we try to verify a few things for you. Johan, staying or going?", Agent Dole says and asks.

"I'll be going, I have a ride nearby and have a few business meetings to go to.", Johan answers.

"Good. I'll see you later then.", Agent Dole says before the rear door opens.

Tammy and Johan step out onto the sidewalk and watches the limousine drive away.

"You have plans for the evening?", Johan asks.

"No, not really.", Tammy asks. Then she realizes, "I have this bag to carry everywhere I go.",

"You should be staying in the Milan Hilton or the Westlin Hotel. Not in this bed bug infested roach motel.", Johan tells her.

"I don't have that kind of money.", Tammy tells him.

"My father, your stepfather, has several open accounts the hotels for the family to use at any time.", Johan tells her as he slips a set of keys into her hand, "Furthermore since you like scooters, there's a Honda Helix where you kept that Vespa. It's bigger and safer than that kiddie two-wheeler you rode. It's more like a motorcycle than a scooter but functions like a scooter than a complex motorcycle. The automatic gearbox shifts for you and has it in its proper gear at all times. Plus it's brand new unlike that Vespa was. We took the liberty of getting you a new Kevlar helmet, neck collar, and gloves to protect you from getting hurt again. They are in your room.", Johan tells her, "Go upstairs to gather your things and take them to your new place."

All Tammy could do was nod. Johan manages to sneak closer to her and gives her a peck on the lips.

"Hey! Aren't I your stepsister?", Tammy complains as she steps back.

"I know how uptight you Americans can be. But here in Italy brothers and sisters kiss as do men of the same family kiss each other here. We are more intimate and not as uptight here at all like where you Americans are.", Johan explains, then changes his tone, "I'm sorry you are not used too our customs. But how can I say it? Welcome to the family."

"Yeah... I guess.", Tammy says.

"See you later tonight there?", Johan says as he points to the keys in her hand.

"Yeah... I'll be there.", Tammy says unsure of herself.

"And buy a dress that is fitting of a Polancco. There's an expense account at the dress stores in the area. Pick up a Coco Chanel LBD and Christian Louboutin shoes and purse to match. I'll pick you up around eight o'clock?", Johan tells her.

"Yeah, eight o'clock is fine, I guess.", Tammy replies.

"Don't have me waiting. A Polancco does not wait for no one.", Johan says as if to warn her. A black Mercedes pulls up behind them. He turns away and gets into its rear passenger door. Soon it is gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: A Date with Danger.  
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She watches the Mercedes drive away, making note of the badge on its trunk lid – 790SEL. The license plate only had 'Polancco 213' on it. It turns away on the nearest intersection. Tammy decides to go to the hotel, stopping by the gated reservation desk.

"Can I pay for another two weeks for the room?", she asks.

The old grey mouse on the counter looks over his ledger book, and then looks at her, "It is already paid for."

"Paid for?", Tammy asks.

"Some men in suits came and asked about you, then showed police badges and explained that you were in the hospital. Then they paid for the remainder of the month's rent and the month after that depending on when you will return.", the old mouse explains and then asks, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Some body crashed into me at the intersection when I was getting here a week ago.", Tammy answers.

"I remember. I was there returning from the store to witness it. I was one of those who called the police. You are lucky that you were not hurt more or killed.", the old mouse says.

"Thank you then.", Tammy says before going up the stairs to her room.

Not paying attention to the box on the bed, she sits down on the bed thinking about the events of the past week and more so on the day. She is more confused about the situations than anything. A US Envoy from the embassy checking on her, the change in tone and demeanor on Johan Polancco, bills paid for two months, and her damaged scooter paid for and replaced with something bigger and better. It does not make sense to her. At least now she knows more about her mother and the demise she went through and no longer being accused by the family. It is now imperative that she finds her sister and brings her home. But now she has a date to prepare for.

Looking at the keys given to her in her hand, there are two that make sense to her. One of the two with the 'H' in a rounded square is 'Honda', and more than likely for the Helix Scooter that Johan said was in the parking area near the hotel. But the one with a gold 'W' made no sense to her though the number on the edge gave her a clue.

"A hotel key?", she asks herself, "But which hotel?"

Then she remembers Johan saying, "You should be staying in the Milan Hilton or the Westlin Hotel. Not in this bed bug infested roach motel."

"Could this be the Westlin Hotel?", she asks herself. She goes into her bag and pulls out the information pamphlets. Finding one about hotels, she finds the information for the Milan Hilton, The Westlin and other large hotels in the city. There are pictures of the Hilton and the Westin along with their logos. The 'W' for the Westlin matches the one on the key. She says to herself 'Yes!' in her mind.

After a few minutes of further researching, she opens the box. Inside was a Pink Helmet like the one she had before but a bit larger and heavier. Under it was a foam cervical collar to wear with the helmet and a pair of leather gloves. All seem to fit as if they were tailor made for her.

Putting the items down, she decides to take her clothes off and take a long over due shower. Though the hospital may have given her a sponge bath while she was out cold, she still felt as if she hadn't bathed in months. She spends over a half hour showering up. She then returns to her room and towel dries herself. Going through her bag, she finds a fresh set of clothes to put on but realizes that she needs to do the laundry with the dirty clothes piling up in the sealed bags. She remembers that there was a laundry mat near by.

In another hour she returns from the laundry to her room to gather her remaining things and repacks her backpack. Taking and putting on her Rescue Ranger jacket, she puts on the backpack and picks up the helmet, collar and gloves. She leaves and locks her room. It will take a few minutes to leave the hotel and into the parking area where a couple of cars and motorcycles were. She finds the Hondo Helix at the far end. It was much larger than the Vespa she had. She had to sit up though more like a car and not a motorbike. Putting the key into the ignition, the engine turns on quieter than the Vespa. With her feet on the side, she pushes off the kickstand while revving the engine. The Hondo zooms quickly to speed, making her take to the hand brakes.

It takes her a while to get used to the Honda Helix's power, as she goes around the block a couple of times to try it out. Once she figures out how to handle the machine, she takes it onto the main streets of Milan and heads for the main tourist center where the Westlin Hotel was in. Being able to accelerate faster into traffic, she gets there faster than she had with the Vespa.

One thing she quickly finds that there were no parking areas outside in the streets. There were several signs for indoor parking, including one at the hotel. She rides slowly into the indoor parking area of the Westlin and finds a gate at the entrance. A guard steps out into view.

"Do you have an electronic pass key?", he says in Italian. She turns off the Helix to remove the keys, and holds it out to him. "This is not an electronic pass...", the guard begins to say but his demeanor suddenly changes, "I'm sorry Miss. You can park at the usual spot."

"Where will that be?", Tammy asks.

"Second level down, by the elevator.", the guard answers.

"Thank you.", Tammy replies as she received her keys.

Turning on the ignition of the Helix, Tammy rides around the rising barricade and finds her way to the second level by the elevators as the guard told her. She parks the Helix at the wall closest to the elevators. She then takes the elevator to the main lobby to find the information desk.

Most of the clerks were registering hotel guests to their room though the process was fairly fast. Once she was on line, it takes a couple of minutes to see a hotel clerk. She manages to get a female clerk.

"How can I help you?", the female clerk asks.

Tammy takes her keys and hands it to her. The clerk picks them up and sees the Westlin key on the ring. She runs the number through her computer terminal; it takes her a few seconds longer than necessary, as she was going through the faces of the Polancco clan to make sure its not a bad date seeking revenge. She was surprised to find Tammy's face on the list with a brief bio of who she was.

"I am very sorry, Miss Polancco.", as the clerk slides the keys back to her. "How can I help you?", she then asks nervously.

"Miss Polancco?, I'm Tammy Squirrel. I'm just related to them by marriage.", Tammy says, "I just need to know where the room is."

"I'm sorry. Go through that door and take that elevator at the end and put the key into the keyhole for the thirty-second floor. It will take you straight there.", the clerk explains.

"Key goes into the elevator?", Tammy asks herself.

"The Polanccos own much of the upper floors. Don't you know that?", the clerk says and asks.

"Its been a while I been in America way too long.", Tammy lies to try to cover herself.

"I see. That key will allow you to get to thirty-second floor. You can choose which room to get into from there. I suggest you take the last room in the hall as the boys have the rooms by the elevator.", the clerk tells her.

"Thank you.", Tammy tells her. She then leaves for the private elevator. Once in she puts the key into the keyhole and rides it up to the thirty-second floor. It takes almost a minute to get there. The doors open to a vast room like hallway with doors lining on the walls on either side. She finds the place deadly quiet.

Following the clerk's directions, she goes to the last room at the end of the hall. Walking in she enters a large living room like space. She finds the place elaborately decorated. Walking around she finds two large bedrooms and a bathroom with a giant tub and shower stall. Heading back to the living room area where she puts down her bag. She thinks about the day's events as she makes her way to a window. Parting the curtains, she takes a look outside, taking on the grand view of the city below.

"Wow. I can see my hotel from here.", she says to herself. Looking down she feels a little dizzy but holds on to the windowsill. The people look like ants as they mill about on the streets below. Further down she can see the Milan Hilton, a large fountain further down near the Hilton and a park. She looks around and takes in the scenic views of the city around her.

Her growling stomach tells her that there was more for her to do. She looks around and finds a telephone nearby. She takes it and picks it up, but instead of a dial tone, she gets a female operator on the line.

"Room service. How can I help you?", the operator says on the phone.

"Room service?", Tammy asks.

"Yes. How can help you?", the operator asks.

"Is it possible that I can have food sent up?", Tammy asks.

"Sure you can have food sent up. What would you like from our restaurant?", the operator asks.

"Err... Uhm, wait. How will this be paid?", Tammy asks.

"It is paid by the Polancco's expense account. Is there anything you would like?", the operator explains and asks.

"If I go down stairs and eat there, will I have to pay for it?", Tammy asks.

"Actually, I can set up a reservation for you to eat down stairs and the bill will be sent to the Polancco's expense account. Would you like that instead?", the operator explains and asks.

"Yes. I would, please.", Tammy answers.

"OK. How many in your party?", the operator asks.

"Just me.", Tammy answers.

"OK. One.", the operator says. In the background the sound of a computer keyboard clicking is heard. "Done. You have a reservation for one under the name of Polancco at the Hotel Restaurant. Its good for the next hour."

"An hour? I'm going in a few of minutes after I get dressed.", Tammy says.

"Not to worry, Miss. You have plenty of time. Anything else I can help you with?", the operator says and asks.

"No. But thank you. Thank you very much.", Tammy tells her.

"Then you have a good day.", the operator replies before disconnecting the call. Tammy could not do much but look at the phone for a second and then hangs it up. She then looks at the two bedrooms for a moment before picking the smaller of the two to take her stuff into.

Taking her backpack and helmet with her inside it on the bed; she opens the backpack and spills out her clothes on the bed sheets. She looks around for a nice looking dress or shirt and blouse combination, compared to the blouse and jeans she is currently wearing. She sits there looking and putting things against her to see how they would look on her. She takes a light blue blouse along with a darker blue knee high skirt. Black low-heel pumps add to her attire. Though she does not carry a carry all purse, she stuffs her important papers, credit cards and money inside. She gets up from the bed and stands up to a nearby mirror, checking herself out on it front and back.

Tammy gets on the bed and pulls out her hairbrush, giving her hair a couple of dozen strokes to set it in place. She takes another check with the mirror before she starts to walk out the door to the main room. She then takes her keys and stuffs them into the purse. She stops by the door to the main hall and goes through her things, Except for the mess she made in the smaller bedroom; she thinks she has everything she needs. She then steps out and heads for the elevator at the end of the hall.

The elevator takes a minute to get to the lobby. She walks over to the information and registration desk where she gets the same clerk from before.

"Hello, can I help… hey! You look a lot better than you came in. Need anything?", the clerk asks.

"Well, yeah. Where's your restaurant?", Tammy asks.

"Oh, that's simple.", the clerk says and leans over her counter. She then points to the far end of the lobby, "Its over there, past the conference rooms."

"Thanks.", Tammy asks, before she heads to the area the clerk mentioned.

In a couple of minutes she enters a waiting area with a maître d' in front of a podium. She walks up to him and he looks at her with a snobbish gaze past his nose.

"How can I help you?", he says in his best English.

"I have a reservation for one under the name Polancco.", Tammy answers.

"I doubt we have such a reservation, we do not serve just one.", the maître d' says.

"Please look?", Tammy asks.

To humor her he does, finding Polancco on the computer screen in front of him, with a note under the name, 'relative of Joseph Polancco under his family's care.' His jaw drops, and he tries to recompose him self quickly before turning to her.

"Right this way.", he looks at her, trying to suck up to her. "Pick any table you want. The place is yours.", he adds on.

"I just want a small table, please.", Tammy says.

"Then right this way.", the maître d' says, leading her to a window seat at a medium sized table. He takes the seat and pulls it back for her. "Sit down right here and enjoy the meal.", he tells her. She sits on the seat, surprised that he would push it in place for her.

A waiter comes and hands her a menu as another waiter puts down a glass on the table and fills it with water. Tammy takes her time going over the menu, trying to make out what is said as speaking Italian and reading Italian are two different things. She figures out the basics, and ask for the roast beef with pasta and vegetables. The waiter asks if she wants wine with her meal, which she declines. Juice would be more in order for the meal she orders.

She thinks and waits for her order, with little to do, as she does not have those things that would have entertained her. She thinks about what she had found out, the date she has with Johan, and the things he had given her. She also thinks about the café, Fernando, dropping out of the EMT program when she could have passed with his help. What Fernando must be thinking about this? But finding her family is more important. She then wonders if anyone in the café misses her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: A Date with Danger II.  
-

Her meal comes and it was more than she expected, but she ate what she could from it. She continues with thinking about what was going on and what to expect from this date. The fact that Johan tried to kiss her freaked her out. Being her stepbrother freaked out even further. She did not know what to expect in what he would do to her in this date. Would this be a friendly date? Would this be something pushed into more intimate? He has something about him that makes her coward inside. At least with Fernando, she had a reason why she would coward from him.

She eats about three-quarters of her meal before giving up on the rest of it. After a couple of minutes one of the waiters arrives to ask if she was fine. She tells him that she was done with her meal and would like the rest of it packed up to go. Though it is not done, an exception was done for her. She receives her bag in a few minutes and left the restaurant. In a few minutes she returns to her room, still finding the floor empty. She goes to the bedroom she has established as hers and goes through her backpack. But she thinks to herself that she only brought a few blouses, skirts and jeans, and not the fancy dresses she had acquired through Fernando and Juanita.

Going back to the main living room, she finds a small kitchen area with refrigerator and not too far away a bar with another refrigerator. She opens up the kitchen refrigerator, finding it nearly empty except for a couple of bottles of wine. She puts her food in there for later consumption. She goes back into the bedroom and cleans up the place a bit and then puts the backpack beside the bed. She takes one of the maps and studies it for a moment, looking for the high-end department stores. She folds up the map and puts it in her small carry all.

She leaves the hotel suite again and walks down to the elevator. Again she makes it down to the lobby in a couple of minutes. She heads out the building and onto the streets, looking at one of the street maps by the intersection. She finds her way to Macy's, one of the biggest and most expensive stores in Milan; though in the US, Macy's would be a high end department store, in most countries like Italy it is here only those who are well to do can afford to go there. She walks in and looks around. Many counter persons and floor sales people wanted her to go to them. Instead she heads for the elevators.

Finding a floor map by the elevators, Tammy finds her way and takes the elevator to the fifth floor. There she finds various high-end ladies' apparel by high-end designers, and sales people willing to go out of their way for her. Looking around she finds the floor divided up by designers and brand names. It does not take her too long to find Coco Chanel, and a female sales person to talk to.

She finds a nice LBD in her size; similar to the one she got from Fernando in New York City. The sales person allows her to go into a changing room to try it out. She takes a while in the changing room reserved for special guests, liking how the dress looks on her as well as how it fits on her. She decides on this particular dress (with a knee high skirt and no sleeves) and another (with longer skirt and over the shoulders sleeves). She also picks up a couple of other items, including some silk underwear and intimate apparel. She hopes and thinks that she does not over spend on the credit card. She does not know the limits of the credit being bottomless meaning that it has an unlimited amount of cash backing it up. The sales person recommends that she get a bottle of Chanel #5 perfume and Christian Louboutin's red-soled shoes in low pumps. Tammy adds them to the list of items she's buying. She finds out that the expense Polancco's expense account paid for everything.

Tammy gets to her hotel room at the Westlin around 6o'clock. She takes the food from the restaurant and warms it up on the small kitchen microwave oven. After eating she checks out the bathroom. She finds a robe and towels there, along with some soap and shampoos. Though they were mostly hotel brands, there were other name brand items as well. She sits on the bed and takes off her clothes, stripping down to her bare fur. Going into the bathroom, she takes a long shower and performs other personal hygiene routines of the day that she has neglected to do because of one reason or another, especially the hospital stay had something to do with it. After more than thirty minutes she steps out wrapped in a robe and drying out her hair with a towel. She walks to the bedroom and sits on the bed, looking over the assorted items she had bought.

Another twenty minutes she is almost dressed, leaning over a dresser in the room and looking over at the mirror on it, putting on make up and adjusting her clothing to make is look better on her. She finishes off the minor touches and gives herself a couple of sprays with the perfume bottle. She throws in a breath mint she found in a bowl outside in the main living room and sits down on the couch waiting for her date to arrive.

At 7:40, the phone in the suite rings, waking her up from a short nap. She walks around and finds one of the phones by the fourth ring.

"Hello?", Tammy asks.

A male voice answers, "Come down stairs. I'll be in the lobby waiting for you."

"Oh. OK. I'll be there.", Tammy answers, but the call was disconnected before she can finish her sentence. She lets out a sigh before getting up and fixing herself one more time. She gathers her small carryall purse and heads out for the elevators. One arrives in under and minute, and takes her to the lobby in a couple of more minutes. Once in the lobby, she finds Johan with a couple of his brothers with him. She walks to meet them.

"Hello?", Tammy asks as she approaches them.

They all turn around to meet her.

"There she is.", Johan tells the others.

"She looks a lot better than the first time we met.", one of the brothers says.

"Who knew there was a fine looking female under all those rags.", the other brother replies.

"Come now boys. She's one of us, a Polancco.", Johan says to them.

"Another sister, how many is that? Six?", the first brother asks.

"Seven. You're forgetting her little sister who is missing from that... night...", Johan says.

"You're right.", the other brother says.

"Anything new on the search?", Johan asks Tammy.

"Huh? Oh. No. Nothing new.", Tammy answers.

"Well boys, you got your dates to pick up. I already have mine. We'll be around later to discussing family matters.", Johan tells them.

"Taking your sister out to dinner and entertainment is not a date.", the first brother says.

"Well, you know this is Tammy. Tammy, this is Alfonse and Romeo. Romeo thinks that he can be a racecar driver. Ha! He does not even have a sponsor.", Johan tells them all.

"I was on the 24 hours in Lemans, and I will be racing soon as soon as the doctor clears me.", Romeo throws back at him.

"You were in Lemans?", Tammy asks.

"Looks like you have a fan, Romeo.", Alfonse elbows him.

"Better a fan than what you got, a secretary?", Romeo tells him.

"Well, we got to go.", Johan tells them, taking Tammy by the arm and then starts to walk away.

Under a minute they were walking out the door to a private car, the Mercedes Tammy seen before or one like it. Johan opens the door to let her in first. He then enters the vehicle after her. The driver drives them away.

"Where are your things?", Johan asks.

"They are upstairs in the hotel room.", Tammy answer.

"Alright. They should be safe then. No one has access except if they have a key and that's mostly the family.", Johan answers.

"You said in the hotel that there are seven sisters, including Bink and I?", Tammy asks.

"We're a big family, five brothers now: me, Alfonse, Romeo, Julius, and Dante; and five sisters: Maria, Estrella, Sophia, Anna and Julietta. You and your sister make seven sisters. Emilio was killed that night along with our parents and house staff.", Johan explains.

"Wow.", Tammy says to herself.

"We are not only big but rich. Father owned several shipping companies and two factories for processing raw steel and aluminum for cars and planes. Now that falls into us boys to manage. And each of us has our own company, like Romeo has Polancco Racing Associates and Alfonse manages his own TV and Radio station. But we have to watch out.", Johan explains.

"Watch out for what?", Tammy asks.

"The government.", Johan answers.

"The government?", Tammy asks.

"Father was labeled a political extremist, because he thought we who have worked for and earned our position should not being forced to pay taxes that supports the poor in southern part of the country. Many in our position have told the government that to improve the South, let us have control of business there, not run government welfare programs which makes them rely on government support even more.", Johan explains.

"But we have that problem in the states too.", Tammy replies.

"Its worse over here. Italy is ruled under an iron fist and the cold steel of the knife even though we vote for some political positions. It is this reason why our father was labeled as a political extremist, and some who agree have taken upon themselves to commit crimes under that title. So, I fear that our father's murder was a political assassination. Our youngest brother, mother and sister was unfortunate to be there when it happened.", Johan explains.

Tammy sits there with her jaw dropped.

"Look. I'm telling you this because in being our sister, stepsister, now makes you a political extremist by association with us. I don't agree with everything the government does, but I believe that with the right politicians, we can make Italy a better place.", Johan tells her.

"I see.", Tammy says, then throws in, "As soon as I find Bink, I'm taking her back to New York."

"That is fine and dandy, but if she is a political prisoner in a government facility, it will be very difficult to get her back. I'll see what strings I can pull for you. They have no right to hold an American as a political prisoner.", Johan says to try and reassure her.

The driver says out loud to be heard, "We are here sir."

"Park anywhere you can.", Johan tells her.

"I already have, sir.", the driver says as he pulls into a space.

The rear door opens and the driver helps Tammy step out of the car. Johan steps out from the other side and walks around the car.

Tammy looks around but sees nothing of interest, just a few short buildings and a pier going out to sea. The driver gets back in the car and slowly drives away. Johan slowly steps up to Tammy and takes her arm. He leads her to one of the short buildings. It was a restaurant, and waiter escorts them to a table at the rear by the window without being asks. Another waiter places glasses and fills with water and a basket of assorted breads.

"Where are we?", Tammy asks.

"No where in particular. Just a small restaurant outside of Milan by the Mediterranean Sea.", Johan tells her.

"But...", Tammy tries to complain.

"But nothing. Its not like I'm taking you around to get inside your panties. I can't do that with a sister, even though I have not known of her all these years. I'm taking you out to find out who you are, what you like, how you have been living your life. And in that, maybe find out how it would fit with the various family businesses. Now I have to ask, when you came you were wearing a Rescue Ranger jacket and cap. Was that for show like so many wanna-be's?", Johan tells her and then asks.

"No. I'm part of the Rescue Rangers in New York. I was about to complete my EMT classes but had to drop out to come here and find my mother and sister.", Tammy says as a tear starts to roll down her cheek. Johan reaches out and wipes it with a napkin.

"There, there, Tammy. You found your family, but not the ones you are looking for. But I promise by all I hold holy I will make sure that your sister will be found.", Johan tells her.

Tammy just nods.

"Look, In Italy all males when they reach the age of 18 to 20 must do two years of military service. So I know what training you may have went through. Maybe I can get you certified here?", Johan says and asks.

"Maybe.", Tammy says with a small smile.

"So, my sister is a Rescue Ranger. I bet you must have many adventures to tell about.", Johan tries to make conversation with her.

In the three hours they spend there they order their meal and discuss about Tammy and the Rescue Rangers. Johan thinks that she is giving more credit to the others for some reason.

After the meal they spend the time walking down the pier and look out the Mediterranean Sea. Tammy does not realize that her emotions are being played with by the expert Johan is. Because of that her comfort level around him rises. Then Johan jumps onto a ladder of a large boat tied to the pier. He jumps over the railing and holds onto the hold down a rope.

"What are you doing?", Tammy asks.

"I'm going to this baby for a cruise!", Johan tells her.

"But... is it yours?", Tammy asks.

"I would not be on it if it was not mine.", Johan tells her.

Tammy thinks about it for a moment. Then she reaches out and grabs the ladder's railing and puts her foot onto the rung. She climbs up the ladder as Johan unties the dock from the boat. Tammy had to figure out how to climb over the railing, and then manages to do so as she holds onto the rail and lift one leg and then the other over the railing. If it weren't for the darkness of the night, Johan would have had a double view of the silk panties she was wearing. She climbs onto the helm area as Johan turns on the small ship's engine controls. Keeping the revs low, the boat inches away from the pier silently. After distancing themselves a couple dozen feet from the docks, Johan increases engine speed and heads out to sea.

"Where are we going?", Tammy asks.

"Nowhere in particular. Just spending alone time with you.", Johan explains.

After an hour of motoring through the water, Johan shuts down the engine and puts the anchor from the onboard computer. He then helps Tammy up from the second seat in the helm. She gets up and follows him into the cabin below. The lights get turned on low to not hurt the eyes.

He sits down on a long seat on one side of the cabin, putting up one of his legs as he sits on it across its length. He pats down on the cushion just in front of him. She slowly walks to him and gingerly sits on the seat. He takes her hand and slowly draws her to him, her back to his front. For a while they sit quietly.

"If you are anything like your mother, I can see why father married her.", Johan says softly in her ear.

Tammy get up off him slightly and turns around to face him, "What do you mean by that?"

"Simple. You're beautiful, sweet, dainty, just like a lady should be. You smell good and feel good against me. If you weren't my sister, I would ask you to marry me.", he tells her.

"But you know nothing about me. Really Johan.", she tells him.

"We would have the rest of our lives to figure that out if it were to happen.", he says.

"I have my own life to live, you know. Its not easy being a rescue ranger.", she replies.

"You would not need to work with them ever again. As my wife, you would be telling the house staff what do, what to clean, when to pick up the children, what to buy, things like that.", he explains.

"Children? How many would you want?", Tammy asks.

"Not many. Maybe five or six, depends on how many boys and girls we would have.", Johan answers.

"All I want is one, maybe two the most.", Tammy says.

"That is American thinking you are going through. Once you get used living in Italy, we'll see how it will go.", Johan tells her.

Tammy thinks for a while but is caught off guard by Johan making a move to kiss her. He presses his lips to her, holding her while she resists. Though she tries to break away from him, she slowly relaxes and accepts what is happening to her. His lips slowly parts, opening hers and slipping his tongue a bit, sensing her response as she does similarly. He relaxes on his grip on her, sensing her relaxing and get more involved. Why she is doing this she does not know. She is under a lot of stress and pressure lately and he was pressing all her buttons to take her down, including putting one hand on her breast and the other under the dress onto her rear end. For a moment she lets out a soft imperceptible moan.

She shutters a bit and pushes herself off him, sliding over to the far end of the seat.

"Everything OK?", Johan asks.

"Take me home.", Tammy says quietly.

"I did not hear you , what was that?", Johan asks.

"Take Me Home!", Tammy yells at him, then begins cry.

He slides over to her and tries to take her hand. She pulls it away from him, "I said to take me home!"

He slowly gets up and heads to the helm. In a couple of minutes the boat was moving again.

Tammy cries below in the cabin for the entire trip to the pier though she has quieted down a bit when the boat comes to a slow stop. After a couple of minutes Johan comes down stairs to the cabin.

"We're tied to the pier. You can step out onto the pier by the gangway at the back of the boat.", Johan tells her. He then steps away and walks to the rear of the boat.

Tammy slowly gets up and takes a tissue from her purse and wipes her eyes with it. She balls it up and puts back in her purse before making her way out of the cabin. Once outside, she finds Johan on the pier by the gangway. Holding onto the outside rail, she makes her way to the gangway and off the boat. Once on the pier she takes several steps away from him. Johan grabs the bottom of the gangway, lifts it up and slides it back on the boat before turning to see where Tammy was. He takes a few steps to her.

"What is wrong?", Johan asks.

"Everything is wrong. Now take me home.", Tammy answers.

"Then follow me. My car should be there in a few minutes.", Johan says before taking a few steps.

Tammy follows silently, wiping her eyes every few steps. Soon they were off the docks and on solid concrete of the sidewalk. In a couple of blocks they were at the restaurant where they ate and Johan's driver let them off. Tammy finds a bench by the restaurant's wall facing the street. She takes a few steps to it and sits down. Hunched over with her hands at her tightly held knees speak loud volume of body language. Johan slowly walk to her and takes a seat at the bench with her.

"Can I ask what is wrong?", Johan asks.

"Can't you figure it out?", Tammy asks.

"Call me a fool, but no.", Johan asks.

"Didn't you say I am your sister? If I am, then why are you kissing up on me and feeling up on my breasts and under my dress?", Tammy lets out.

"I was not the only one in the heat of the moment. How do they say it, it takes two to tango. And the laws of consent do not include sisters but it does include stepsisters, and you are my stepsister. It would be fine if we did those things and later get married.", Johan tells her, "You Americans are uptight about everything."

"I am here to find my mother and little sister. Now that I know my mother is dead, I am going to find my little sister and take her home to America where she belongs. Not to fool around with you!", Tammy tells him.

"Well, I can say that you stopped being my stepsister when both our parents died. So you're no longer related to me in any longer.", Johan tells her.

"Just shut up. You are going to be in the front seat with your driver so I can be left alone in the back seat.", Tammy tells him.

"I was just saying...", Johan begins.

"Then say nothing!", Tammy yells at him. "First you say that I am your sister and then when I push you off from getting into my panties you say I'm not? What kind of a perverted hypocrite are you?! A sister is someone you do not have intimate sexual relations with on any level!"

"You too were having intimate relations with me... Bah! You Americans are uptight idiots.", Johan says to himself, "You act like you are cheating on your American boy friend."

"Maybe I do have a boyfriend, and he is a thousand times better than you.", Tammy tells him.

"I doubt that. He would not have the money and power I have.", he tells her.

"I'd rather be poor and happy with him because I would never be happy with you! Because you think that with your power and money that you can get any girl to drop her panties for you! I am not that kind of girl!", Tammy tells him.

Johan does not answer. In fact he gets up from his seat and check the street for his car to arrive. In the distance he sees the headlights of the car coming more than a mile way. He then steps to Tammy, "Get up. The car is coming."

She looks at him, not liking the tone of his voice. But she gets up in order to be by the car when it arrives. She gets to the curb and looks down the street, seeing a car's headlights far away. She thinks about protesting but doesn't. Another two minutes the car arrives and the driver steps out. Johan takes his driver by his arm and pulls him to the front of the car.

"I had troubles with this American bitch. Take us to the hotel so I can kick her out.", Johan tells him quietly in Italian, "I'll be in the front seat with you. After dropping off us at the hotel, you can take the car home. I'll be staying in the city."

"Are you sure, sir?", his driver asks in Italian.

"Yes. Now I ask you to open the back door for that American bitch. I'll let myself in the front. I will be taking the toy with me when I take her to the hotel.", Johan tells him.

"As you wish, sir.", his driver replies. They go off in their directions, the driver opening the rear passenger door to Tammy and Johan lets himself in the front passenger door. The driver puts himself into the driver's seat, and drives the Mercedes back to Milan.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: A Date with Danger III.  
-

The driver gets them to the Westlin Hotel in faster time than it took for them to go to the restaurant. Johan lets himself out as the driver gets the door open for Tammy. Neither one of them speaks as they head into the massive building. The driver drives away as he was told.

Tammy gets into the elevator first with Johan behind. He steps away from her, forcing her to use her key. He takes a couple of steps to the door as the elevator closes. As it begins to slow down to stop on their floor, he reaches over and grabs the key. He steps out with the key as Tammy complains.

"Hey! Those are mine!", Tammy complains.

He stops in the middle of the hall and turns to her. "They were yours. I gave them to you; I can take them back. Now go get your things. Take off your clothes and leave them on the bed undamaged along with the American Express Black card I gave you. You're walking home to that flea-ridden trashcan of a hotel. And don't call me again. You got 10 minutes.", he tell her before looking at his watch.

Tammy holds in her anger as she walks by him to the suite she used. She makes a straight line for the bedroom and starts taking off her dress. She then quickly puts on her jeans first and then her blouse she takes out from her backpack while stuffing the purse inside the backpack. She takes off her shoes and puts them by the dress on the bed and sits there as she buttons herself up. He walks in after five minutes had past, as Tammy was buttoning her blouse up. He walks in a circle, looking into every room until he finds her in the smaller bedroom. He steps in into the room and looks at her. Tammy freezes from buttoning her blouse.

"Can't I have some privacy?", Tammy looks up at him.

He pulls out the gun from the back of his pants and aims it at her. She just freezes further in place, trembling where she could.

"You remember one thing. I am a Polancco. With a phone call I can make people happy by building a new school or community center for them or I can make people grieve their dead with a properly placed bomb from an associate. Before we met, you were nothing to me. After we met and got to know you better, I thought that we could be more than just stepbrother and stepsister. I thought that we could be friends, and as a friend, I would help you find our missing sister. But no, you refused me and now I refuse you. I could kill you here and now and nothing will be said about except for a tabloid article next to some ad for fat removing massage crème. Instead I am going to make your life miserable. You will never know where your mother is buried and where your sister can be found. ", Johan tells her. He then moves his gun to Tammy's bag and fires a couple of rounds into it. He then shifts to the pink helmet he gave her and puts a couple of rounds into it, puncturing and cracking the protective case in several places. He then reaches for her backpack and throws it out of the room into the main living room space. "Now Get Out!" he yells at her.

She manages to grab her shoes and run out of the room into the main living room, She grabs to the top of her bag and heads out of the suite to the main hallway. Johan fires a couple of more rounds at her, deliberately missing. She panics as she presses the elevator call button while huddling under it. A couple of rounds fly through the suite's door and hit the wall by the elevator door. She was about to give up hope when the elevator's bell rings and the door opens. She throws her bag and shoes into the elevator and crawls inside. She reaches for and presses the only button on the lower part of the panel. The door closes and the elevator start to head down, but a couple of rounds penetrate the elevator door. The bullets bounce around and then fall to the floor. She gathers them and puts them in her pocket. As the elevator goes down, she finishes putting on her shoes and gets up, putting on her backpack.

Once the elevator doors open at the lobby level, she runs out and heads to the door. She continues running for another three or four blocks. She does not know, she lost count until she stops by a lamppost and heaving for her breath.

Back in the suite, Johan takes out his cellphone and makes a call.

"Yes. I want that roach motel burned to the ground. I want nothing left but ashes.", he says to the device. There was no reply, just the call ending from the other end.

Tammy walks around for another few more blocks, circling the tourist area. She decides to hail a taxicab, but none stop for her. She continues to walk back to the hotel though not wanting too. A taxicab stops to drop off a couple at the hotel. She runs for it before anyone else can, pushing the male companion out of the way and slamming the door. She tells him where to go, the hotel she rented a room from before. He takes his time trying to get a higher fare by cheating. It takes more than a half hour to take her there, but the fire department blocked much of the street as they fought a fire, a fire that was consuming the hotel.

Tammy got out of the cab and started screaming, "NO! THIS CAN'T BE!" ITS NOT POSSIBLE!" She grabs her backpack and pulls it out of the cab to make sure the driver does not get away with it.

The driver steps out of the cab and faces Tammy, "Where's my money!"

Tammy does not answer as she watches the place burn down. The Italian police approaches them, asking question.

"Who is she?", one of the officers asks.

"Some skank I picked up at the Westlin half hour ago.", the cab driver tells them.

One of the officers looks inside the cab and sees the meter still running. "A half hour from the Westlin?", the officer asks. "My grandmother with her cane can walk there faster than that! You trying to cheat this girl?"

"Traffic was horrible downtown.", the cab driver tells them.

"Get in the cab and leave before we decide to run an inspection.", the other officer tells him.

"I Want My Money!", the cab driver yells at them.

"Drive away from here a free man or you're coming with us in handcuffs." The first officer tells him.

The cab driver is heard cursing as he enters his cab. One of the police officers looks inside it see if she had any more stuff, and then closes the door to let the cab driver go away.

All Tammy can think was what Johan told her, "With a phone call I can make people happy by building a new school or community center for them or I can make people grieve their dead with a properly placed bomb from an associate." All she can say is "No..."

"Aren't you that girl who survived that accident here a few days back?", the first officer asks.

"She is.", his partner tell him, "I think that burning hotel was where she was staying."

"Oh well. It was bound to happen. Some crack head dropping his pipe and setting the bed on fire. It was bound to happen.", the first officer says.

"Yeah, these old structures are tinder boxes..." the second officer replies.

Tammy takes her backpack and runs. Like before she runs for a few blocks and stops by a lamppost to catch her breath. She cannot figure out what as going on, other that thinking Johan had something to do with this. "But why", she thinks, "Because I would not let him go all the way with me, he has to burn the hotel? What kind of person is he?"

She spends the night walking around, slowly and unknowingly heading to the tourist area again. Somewhere along the way she finds a park and walks into it. The noise of the city fades as she heads deeper into the park. Instinctively she looks up into the trees until she finds one to her suiting. Jumping up she grabs a low hanging branch and climbs up higher into the tree. Once she thinks she is high enough, she settles down to rest. As it is said in many squirrel circles, "Once you learn how to sleep in trees, you learn to be very still."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Another Week, Another Month.  
-

Octobers end with little done and running for her life. Unknown to her, the envoy was looking for her after he found out her hotel burned down. He wanted to know how she was doing and to compare notes with her. She could not be found according to the agents in the field.

In two and a half weeks it will be Thanksgiving, Tammy was getting home sick but she had to be diligent in her search for Bink, and the North Italian winter is on its way. She will not be sleeping in trees anymore. Early her in her stays in the trees, she would spend the day at the library but lately she has been getting emails of "Suffer Bitch", "I hope you die" and other similar in content, all from the same person. At times it floods her inbox that she cannot read any of her other emails. In mass deletions of the email also deletes 'innocent' emails as well. Several emails from the envoy were accidentally deleted in way as two from City College asking about her attendance and getting a failing grade for missing the final exam. An email from Gadget inviting her to an Acorn Thanksgiving was also deleted without being read.

One particular day, Tammy decides to create an email that is not as public as her Range Rescue one is. At the library she decides to sign up on Hotmail and create an account: T-Squirrelathotmaildotcom. Then she opens another window and opens her rescue ranger email and transfers a few of her friends email addresses to her hotmail account. After transferring 30 or so email addresses into her new email account, she sends a mass email of introduction. Unfortunately, the various email filters at various accounts bump her introduction email as SPAM.

She continues her hunt for more information but finds none; nothing on the news, nothing on the tabloids, nothing on the Internet blogs, nothing to be found. She sits there at the screen and stares at it.

Then there is the matter of money. Though she has about fourteen thousand euros left of Johan's money left and most of the money she brought in from home, she still needed a place to stay and eat. While flipping through the online newspapers, she hits upon the classified ads. There she finds by accident an ad for a room in a shared apartment, three hundred euros a month. It is a lot less than the hotel and close to the tourist section of the city. The only thing she does not like is the statement "College Students Preferred." Google-mapping the area, she finds a university a few blocks away from the area, making it situated between the tourist area and the university. She gets the ad printed and heads to the listed address immediately.

She makes it to the address in a few minutes. There she finds a three-story house owned by an elderly mouse couple – Mr. And Mrs. Marinos. They have owned the place since before World War II and after seeing their children grow up decided to make money in renting out the empty rooms. She discusses with them about the newspaper ad she found and they agree it was theirs. She explains to them of her situation of looking for a lost family member, and wishing to return home when that family member is found, but until then she needs a place to stay. Though the old husband was not willing to hold up somebody in her situation or species, the old wife has a bleeding heart for Tammy. They go into a side room and discuss about having Tammy stay as long as she pays the rent in advance. They come to an agreement on Tammy staying as long as she pays her rent in advance.

After paying her security and rent for the rest of October, she is lead about the house, being shown where the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, the laundry room and her bedroom. She receives a set of keys for the house and her room, and was allowed to stay in her room. The bed in the room is a small twin sized bed against the corner of the room, and across from the bed was a small dresser, which was empty. She puts her backpack down on the floor, and sits on the bed. For the first time in the weeks she spent outside, she checks her backpack and the items inside. Towards the top where one of the two bullet holes is, she pulls out the items inside out and inspects them. One of the pairs of jeans and a couple of t-shirts had bullet holes in them where the bullet traveled through the bag and through the folded layers of clothing. The lower bullet hole went through more clothing, mostly through several panties and a couple of bras she had not gotten to. All she could do at the time is shake her head at each item found. She piles up the clothes into those that are repairable and those that are to be thrown out.

In consolidating her clothing, she puts on a skirt, blouse, and shoes, and checks on her credit cards in her purse, finding the one Johan had given her. Her only thought in her mind is using the card for him damaging her clothes and backpack. Leaving the room as is with the clothes piled up on the bed, she gets up and heads out to the department stores in the tourist area. She gets to Macy's in a few minutes and wanders through the aisles. She picks up a few things in intimate apparel in her usual white cotton, and gets a few others in nylon and silk. She then goes upstairs and gets a couple of Coco Chanel LBDs and other similar like dresses of the same style but different colors. Skirts, blouses and jeans were added to the list as well as a couple pair of sneakers. At the cash register, she pulls out Johan's credit card and gives it to the cashier. She asks the cashier to over charge the card by two thousand dollars and to give her the rest in cash. The cashier complies and gives Tammy the credit card, receipt and money. The cashier then folds things up and stuffs them into bags, giving them to Tammy.

Tammy makes it out the door of the store and heads to a local drug store to get a few things for her like toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene products and a sewing kit. She also finds a cheap cellphone with prepaid and refillable minutes, which she maxes out. At the cashier, she takes out some of the money from the last purchase. With her arms filled she heads to her new home. Along the way she passes by a bicycle shop and looks at the bicycles inside. She runs home and puts the bags of things on the bed.

Just in case she discusses with the old lady of the house about having a bicycle, which she was told that if it is not in everyone's way, she can have what she wants. With this news Tammy goes out to the bicycle shop and looks over a few bikes and their prices. She was interested in something not too small that she can put away. In discussing it with the bicycle shop workers, she finds something that interests her: a folding bicycle with an electric motor and rechargeable battery, while still looking like a regular bicycle. It was for 550 Euros. Along with a helmet and locking chain, it was under 700 euros. She pays it with the money she received from the Macy's purchase. She brings the bicycle home and folds it up into a corner of the room.

She relaxes for a couple of days and helps the old lady with various chores around the house unlike the other students who spend their time studying instead of helping. Thanksgiving comes and passes with nothing found. She goes to the Library and accesses her hotmail email account. Within the first page she finds an email from the ambassador. She quickly opens it.

"Miss T. Squirrel,

We are investigating and monitoring American activities in foreign lands and need to know why you are in Italy. Our records do not show the name of Miss. T. Squirrel in our rosters conducting business in Italy. Please call us at your earliest convenience and notify us of your activities.

Thank you.

Ambassador to Italy,  
Jonathan Miers."

Under it was a list of emails and phone number to call.

Tammy thinks to her self, "I don't know how you know of this email or how I am in Italy, but what business I am doing is my business." She takes out her cellphone and plays with the settings -Phone -Calls -Show Number -No. Then she dials one of the numbers listed in the email. A young woman answers the call.

"Hello, United States Embassy in Italy. How can I help you?", a young woman asks.

"Hello. My name is Miss Squirrel and I got an email from the ambassador asking about my business and whereabouts, so I'm calling.", Tammy answers.

"I see. Hold one while I work the computer for your records.", the young lady replies. Typing can be heard in the background. "What is your name?", the young lady asks.

"Miss Squirrel. Miss T. Squirrel.", Tammy answers.

"Lets see... No. I can't find any records. Can I have your first name?", the young lady asks.

"Its Tammy.", Tammy answers.

"Itstammy?", the young lady asks.

"No. It is Tammy. Tammy Squirrel.", Tammy answers.

"Tammy Squirrel?", the young lady says as she types on the keyboard. In a second the record pops up. She reads over it and then says to Tammy, "Are you working? You are not allowed to work in Italy."

"I am not working.", Tammy answers.

"Then how are you supporting yourself?", the young lady asks.

"My family is supporting me.", Tammy answers.

"Who is your family and how are they supporting you?", the young lady asks as she looks over the records.

"My mother, the former Mrs. Rebecca Squirrel who married Joseph Polancco and who became Mrs. Rebecca Polancco. They are supporting me.", Tammy tells her.

The screen verifies half of the information Tammy told her. "Excuse me as I put this into the computer.", the young lady tells her. In a few seconds the typing stops. "OK. Miss Squirrel. It says here that you are too come here and get an update on your passport."

"Where is here?", Tammy asks.

"The Embassy in Rome.", the young lady answers.

"But I'm in Milan.", Tammy replies.

"I'm sorry but this has to be done or when you return home, you will be detained at the customs check out and be asked questions by the Italian Police. Maybe you can take the Trans Italian Express to Rome, it should only takes three hours each way.", the young lady explains.

"I'll see what I can do.", Tammy tells her.

"The sooner you do this the better.", the young lady repeats herself.

"Email me the information. Goodbye.", Tammy tells her and then hangs up the phone. She shakes her head at the exchange she just went through. She goes back online and check out the Trans Italian Express. She finds out that they leave for Turin, Genoa and Florence before reaching Rome. Traveling over 270KPH, it leaves Milan every four hours starting at 6AM.

"6AM, so I get to Rome at 9AM, just in time when the offices open. Now will they accept a bicycle?", Tammy says to herself. Further look at the rules and regulations says bicycles are allowed, but only on the last car. She writes everything down and plans for leaving tomorrow.

Printing and wrapping everything up, she heads outside and unlocks her bicycle from the bike stand. Once she gets it on the street, she zips along with its quiet electric motor back to her home. During the time she had before dinner, she prepares her backpack for the trip tomorrow. She puts a couple of the newer clothes to wear tomorrow on the dresser. Just in case, she hides Johan's credit card in the room. Papers are folded up and put neatly in the backpack that she repaired. Later she goes down to have dinner with the rest of the students and remain behind to help clean up.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9: Three passports and a couple of visas.  
-

Tammy wakes up at 3AM to get ready for her trip. She showers up and puts on the new blouses and jeans she bought a few days before and packs away a skirt and shoes in the back pack while putting on her sneakers. After getting dresses and combing her hair, she takes her bicycle downstairs. She makes a pit stop at the kitchen to eat a snack before leaving. Putting on her helmet, she gets on the bicycle and rides away at 3:45AM.

The ride to the train station was treacherous but she managed to do so in the dark streets of Milan. At the ticket booth she picks up a round trip ticket for Rome. She has another 90 minutes before her train comes.

Rolling the two-wheeler around with her, she walks around the mezzanine, stopping by a pastry stand. She orders a pastry and coffee. Her next stop after her tiny meal is the ladies' room. There she chooses the handicap toilet to take her bike into and use the facilities. Once she is done washing her hands, she leaves the bathroom and heads to the platform. Another 55 minutes before the train arrives, she walks to one of the platform conductors to ask where to place herself and her bicycle to get on the train. He tells her to get at the end of the train station platform. She does and waits for the train there. It arrives 10 minutes early.

She gets on the train and puts herself and her folded bicycle into a bench seat aisle, holding onto her ticket. At 6:05AM the train starts to roll out of the station. It arrives at Florence on 45 minutes, Turin in an hour and 15 minutes, and Genoa in 20 minutes. The train arrives at Rome at 9:10AM. Tammy gets up and takes her folded bicycle with her onto the platform. There she unfolds it and pushes it through the platform until she takes it to the exit and out onto the street. She makes her way to an information booth and takes a couple of maps with her to study. She figures the path to the embassy and rides there on her bicycle. It takes her another 45 minutes to get there, finding a bicycle stand inside the embassy grounds where she secures it.

She checks herself at the information desk and registers for her passport upgrade. She is told to wait. She asks for directions to the ladies' room and goes for it. There she changes into the skirt and shoes before gong back out. A mint ball and touch up of her hair completes her tasks. She goes back out and takes a seat in the waiting room. She is called almost an hour later and was taken to an empty meeting room. She was told to take a seat.

She waits in the room for another 10 minutes when a couple of men come into the room with brief cases. One she remembers as Envoy Agent Dole. They take seats opposite her.

"Good morning Miss Squirrel. How are you this day?", the other man tells her.

"I'm fine. Uhm, him I know, but I don't know you.", Tammy replies.

"I'm Ambassador Miers. This I believe you know as Envoy Agent Dole.", Ambassador Miers explains, "Now Miss Squirrel, about you."

"What about me?", Tammy asks.

"How have you been supporting yourself?", the Ambassador asks.

"The credit card my mother gave me.", Tammy answers.

"I see. Agent Dole?", the ambassador says and asks.

"There has been a complaint from the Polancco family that you stole one of their credit cards.", Agent Dole says as he secretly presses a button under the table. A couple of arm guards enter the room.

Tammy looks at the guards and then at Agent Dole. She puts her bag on the table. "There's my bag. You can search it, and get a female guard to search me.", she tells them.

"We don't have a female guard, but I'll search you myself.", Agent Dole tells her as he takes her bag an spills the contents on the table. He searches her things, putting them into piles: Papers which he sends to the ambassador, outerwear, underwear, and miscellaneous.

The ambassador goes through the papers and finds four credit cards: two student credit cards by Master Card and Visa and two high end cards, a Black-World Elite MasterCard and a Crystal Sapphire Blue Visa card. All the cards have her name on it. He gives Agent Dole a nudge and gives him the cards. The agent takes them and looks at them.

"You're a bit poor to have high end credit cards.", Agent Dole tells her.

"They were given to me by my mother when she married to Joseph Polancco", she tells him.

"Those are not the one listed as stolen.", the ambassador points out. Agent Dole hands them back to him. He goes back to searching the bag. The ambassador turns to Tammy, "Why are you still in Italy?"

"I have not found my sister Bink.", she tells him.

"You might never find her.", the ambassador tells her.

"I will try my damn best to find her.", Tammy tells him.

"I bet you will. But what if the credit card runs out? They will need to be paid off eventually. And you are not a citizen here, you can not work here.", the ambassador explains.

"Until then, I will be searching for my sister.", Tammy replies.

"I see.", the ambassador says almost to himself. He turns to Agent Dole. "You done there?", he asks him.

Agent Dole was laying flat one of Tammy's panties on the table. He then turns to the ambassador. "I'm finding nothing."

"I doubt she has it." the ambassador replies.

Agent Dole turns to Tammy. "Understand I take no pleasure in this. The Polancco's are a powerful family in Italy. I need to be sure that you are totally innocent on the charges he's putting on you.", he explains, then orders, "I need you to put your shoes on the table, stand up, put your hands on the table and spread your legs so I can search you."

Tammy looks at him with a scowl, then puts her shoes on the tables and does as he tells her. He gets up from his seat and walks up behind her. He takes her by the waist, and pulls her back making her rear end bump up against his groin. Then he begins to frisk her, first at her arms, then her shoulders. He then gropes and massages her breast. Tammy closes eyes and grimaces as he continues with the other breast. Her side and back to her waist was frisked and then her hips. He puts his hand up her skirt and touches her in areas where she only lets a washcloth go. He raises her skirt up over her waist as he massaged her rear end and tail. Then he frisks each leg to the foot, and then back up, putting his hand at her groin and massages it lightly. He pulls back away from her and pulls down her skirt. He then steps away.

"You're clean. You not hiding the card on you.", he tells her.

"You done searching.", Tammy asks.

"Yes I am.". Agent Dole tells her with a stupid smile on his face. It was knocked off his face with a cold hard slap that nearly topples him to the near by wall. A knee to the groin sends him to the floor.

"That as for you enjoying yourself on my expense, you fucking sick bastard! You do that your daughters?!" Tammy yells at him.

"That's enough Miss Squirrel." The ambassador says out loud.

Tammy turns to the ambassador, "I don't know who your boss is, but when I find out, I'm going to submit a complaint against you allowing him to feel me up!"

"By all means. You can pick up the forms from the secretary at the lobby. But this is being done on the Polancco's orders to find that credit card.", the ambassador tells her, "Consider yourself lucky that its not taken to an open cavity search."

"The Polancco? Johan Polancco?", Tammy asks.

"Its his card that is missing.", the ambassador answers.

"That bastard.", Tammy says out loud.

"Leave him alone. He will have you killed if you approach him.", the ambassador tells her.

"I know that.", Tammy tells him.

"Explain.", the ambassador asks.

Tammy takes her seat. "That bastard took me out on a date. At first I thought it would be talking about our family relations. And at first he did, calling me as his stepsister. Then he got stupid and started feeling me up, calling me an uptight American. I told him off and told him to take me home. Then he got really stupid and tried to shoot me", she tells him, showing him the backpack patches where Johan shot at her. "I was lucky not to get hit."

"If he wanted you dead, he would have shot you. No I think he wants you alive to taunt you. Do yourself a favor and stay away from him.", the ambassador tells her.

"I have been trying. I think he burned down my hotel that night. I have a feeling he did.", Tammy tells him.

"He might have. I would not put it past him. But he will never be caught because his fingerprints will never found at the scene. He pays others to do his dirty deeds.", the ambassador explains to her. He looks at the papers in front of him and pulls out her passport. "I'll be back with this.", he tells her as he got up, "Come to this side and pack up your things." He then looks at the guards, "When she's packing her things, get that dirty old bastard out my room." The guards nod at him.

Tammy walks to the other side of the table where the ambassador was. The guards drag away Agent Dole as she beings to pack up her things. It takes her a few minutes to put away her things, and then takes a chance to change her skirt and shoes to her jeans and sneakers. Soon she puts her bag on the floor. Ambassador Miers returns, putting three passport booklets in front her with a couple of small bricks of cash. Tammy looks at them confused as the ambassador takes the she was in earlier. He pushes one of them in front of her.

"That one is the one you came here with.", he explains as she recognizes her passport book. She takes it and looks inside. Other than a new Italian stamp on the last used page, there was no change. He slides another to her, "That one is your work visa in case you need a job." Then he slides the last one to her, "That one is in case you need to use a new name. We chose Tammy Polancco because of your mother's marriage to the family. Only use it if you have to use a new identity. The money is from the ten thousand euro victims' check. When the check could not be delivered to the burnt down hotel, it was sent to me."

Tammy nods.

"If you have Johan's card, its code is 7689. I would say if you have it, take out forty or fifty thousand euros and leave Italy. Wear dark glasses and something you don't usually wear. Hide your hair, wear a wig when you do.", the ambassador tells her. "Go ask the secretary how to contact the IRAS* to help you in your search for your sister. And Good Luck."

Ambassador Miers gets up and puts out him hand. Tammy takes it and shakes it.

"Look, when you shake somebody's hand especially in Europe, you squeeze hard.", the ambassador tells her, and applies a bit of pressure to his grip. Tammy squeezes down on his hand, "Just like that."

They let go, and then he leaves. Tammy packs up the passports and puts the two new ones at the bottom of the backpack along with the money. She the places her real passport near the top of the backpack under the skirt and shoes she had put in.

She puts the backpack on and heads out the to see the secretary about the complaint forms and how to contact the IRAS. She puts the forms in her backpack and heads out. She unchains her bicycle from the bike stand and rolls it to the street. She was soon making her way back to the train station. She did not mind waiting for the train that would bring her back to Milan.

Note: IRAS = International Rescue Agency and Service; an agency part of the United Nations.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10: Home.  
-

Tammy takes a couple of days to relax from what was said and done to her at the embassy by Agent Dole. She did manage to get the forms filled and mailed. It was a matter of waiting for a response. Net access at the library has turned up nothing.

December 1st, she gets a letter from the ambassador apologizing for what had happen at the embassy and has advised her that Agent Dole has been reprimanded for his actions with a suspension. December 10, a representative from the IRAS arrives to her home in Milan. Tammy walks to meet the representative outside the house. He hands her a sealed millennia folder.

"Come walk around the block with me.", he tells her. Tammy decidesto go with him. "Last time anyone heard from your sister Bink, she was at Milan National General Hospital. She was badly injured and raped. Her arm and both legs were shattered as if with a heavy object and she was shot at least twice according to the medical files. Her shattered limbs were amputated.", he points to the folder.

"Where is she now?", Tammy asks.

"She was in the hospital for three months recovering. During this time she was told of what happened, and tried to kill herself. Its all on the file.", he tells her. "From there meetings with the Polanccos went down hill and they refused to accept her back into the family. So she was to be placed in an orphanage. The Social Work Agency picked her up and that was the last anyone heard from her."

"Social Work Agency?", Tammy asks.

"They are an agency tied in medical research and public safety. They are headquartered in Rome, but shares offices with hospitals and public safety with the police through out Italy. That is all I know and can give you. Their brochure is in the envelope. You can find their webpage on the Internet.", he tells her.

"Anything else you can do?", Tammy asks.

"Well, if the SWA has her, we can request that they release her over to you as her only living relative. But that is all.", he answers.

"Alright.", she says.

"You go back home. I'm heading back to the office.", he says.

Tammy only nods her head, and then watches him walk away. She turns around and walks back to her rented room.

Back on her bed she opens the folder and pours the contents onto the covered mattress. She goes over various pages and pictures, x-rays shows broken bones and a bullet somewhere in her body. All the reports were in Italian but mention her by name. She puts back the papers in order and puts them back in the folder.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11: Finding Bink.  
-

Tammy goes to the library and does a very generic search with Bink's description: young girl squirrel, blonde hair. The search results come up with tabloid report of child assassins roaming around Italy killing adults, usually Padana Political Terrorists or anyone associated with them. There were several pictures with children running with guns, but mostly were blurred. One picture catches Tammy's eye, a girl looking like Bink carrying a violin case with an adult male mouse. How odd the picture looks, it was obvious that they were not related unless adopted.

"Bink?", Tammy says to her self.

The caption of the photo says it was made in Milan to weeks before Tammy arrived.

"She was here?", Tammy says to herself. Though she could be anywhere in Italy, chances are she might return to Milan one day. It's a matter of when.

She looks at the picture more closely, looking for details where she could pick up. Finding a building number, she throws it at Google Maps. There were 47 locations with that building number. She goes through each one until she finds it on location number 37.

"Milan Cultural Center of the Arts?", Tammy says to her self. Finding the address on a side bar of the browser, she writes it down on one of her note sheets. She goes back to the other windows and prints them out. The printed sheets get put into her backpack before she leaves the library. Once outside she rides on her bike to the outskirts of the tourist center and studied a street map for a while. She finds the Milan Cultural Center of the Arts on the other side of the city in the Arts and Theater District. She takes careful notes of directions and heads off on her way.

It takes her almost two hours to go cross-town but she makes it to the Milan Cultural Center of the Arts. She looks around and finds a couple of theaters in the area of the Cultural Center, a library and an Arts Museum. She walks around to find a bike stand to secure her bicycle to.

After securing her bicycle, she walks inside the Cultural Center, finding it like New York's Lincoln Center but smaller with fewer buildings. She finds a map of the area and sees that the cultural center extends outside of the block with several more theaters and a small art gallery that sells its wares.

She walks about the area, looking at the building and people. What few children were there were with their matching parents; squirrel children with squirrel parents, mice children with mice parents. At least she found the building in the photograph. She waits and looks around, thinking that maybe Bink with that adult male mouse would come out. But after a couple of hours after the theater shows end, and the audience is let out, she finds nothing. After a few more minutes of waiting, she heads back to her bike and rides for home.

She makes it home in time for dinner. After putting her bike away, she sits down with rest of the students and the elderly couple for dinner. She goes back to her room and looks over the new information she found during the day.

The following day, Tammy puts on a dark hair wig, dark glasses and a female trench coat she barrowed from one of the female students. She heads out to the bank in the tourist section and withdraws twenty thousand euros. The code the ambassador gave her works as money is counted into the chute before it is rolled out for her to receive. She quickly pockets the money and leaves for home to return the barrowed things.

Once home, and after she returns the things she barrowed, she hides most of the money, and leaves the house with three thousand euros. She goes out shopping for assorted items, wrapping paper and tape. She takes the items home and gift-wraps them, for Christmas was coming. Cards for everyone with ten euros in it, a couple of expensive watches to the elderly couple renting her the room, and a student kit containing pens, pencils, a scientific calculator and a note book pouch to hold them in for the students in the house. She hides the gifts in the bottom drawer of the dresser in her room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12: A Very Italian Christmas. A Very American New Years.  
-

The Polanccos males arrive at their former parents estate to prepare the house for a very merry Polancco family Christmas. There they bring gifts and a large tree to decorate. Johan gets his driver to bring him and Romeo to town. While he is out two more Mercedes pull up to the driveway and four young girls with automatic weapons run out into the building.

Christmas cheer is replaced with panicked yells of horror and gunfire. It only last for a few minutes. After the yelling stops, four men walk out of the cars and into the house, examining the carnage inside. They realize that though the brothers and their female escorts were killed, Johan and Romeo were missing.

A call is made on a cellphone, and a couple of vans pull up to the house, men dressed like police officers walks about the area as the men and the girls get into their Mercedes leave. The police mill about taking pictures and sprinkling fingerprint powder on everything.

Johan and Romeo arrive to a scene of police officers and carnage. Both had to be held back from entering the scene as a morgue truck arrives to remove the bodies.

Pictures of the massacre make it to the tabloids. While Tammy searches for more information on her sister, she runs into a tabloid headline of a second Polancco murder. Pictures of the bodies with inserts of them in better days, showing who were killed, and state possible motives of political assassinations, Padnania Power Struggles and Mafia Rub Outs. But no names were given as possible suspects. Though Tammy was elated with the news of the massacre, she was also horrified by it.

"Serves them right. Evil only gets evil. But It is not nice to think like that, no one deserves to be murdered.", Tammy says to herself. An email arrives on her hotmail account from the ambassador. She double clicks on it to open it.

"Dear Miss. Squirrel,

I hope you are not in Milan. We just received news of another massacre of the Polancco family. Whoever is going this, I hope they do not find and involve you. Beware out there, somebody is killing off Polanccos and you are related to them by marriage.

How is your search of your sister? I wish you the very best.

Merry Christmas,  
Ambassador J. Miers."

"Damn." Tammy says to herself, "Maybe its that jerk Johan killing everyone so he does not have to share the inheritance."

Days come and go with no new clues. She manages to get a couple more pictures from around Italy of who she thinks is Bink with that male mouse. One picture manages to have Bink with another girl, a blonde mouse just a little taller than she is with another adult male mouse with matching facial features of the one with Bink. Only thing that catches her eye is a high end Mercedes, in station wagon* form.

Tammy thinks of how rare they must be, anyone owning a Mercedes would get the sedan or coupe but not the station. Even the Polancco's all have Mercedes; none of them were a station wagon.

Christmas was celebrated with a special dinner and exchange of gifts. Though there were hugs and smiles, there was nothing really to celebrate about for Tammy. New Years was no better. She felt empty.

With some of the money she took from Johan's credit card, she buys a heavy jacket, a winter coat and a pair of Uggs boots for herself. The Italian winter, though not fierce but a constant cold, unlike a New York City Winter which has cold days with warm days.

Much of her time is spent at home, since there was too much snow outside, and she thinks who ever Bink is with would not be going out during the winter. January goes by faster than any of the other months passed as she goes into a slight hibernation mode and sleep away a few days during each week.

With the start of a new semester, a couple of the students receive their degrees and move out while new student joins the group – one who is another female squirrel from America like Tammy. She registered to attend the University of Milan to study art, culture and fashion. Being the only squirrels in the house, she wants to be friends with Tammy. Tammy does not want to be bothered.

A knock on the door makes Tammy get up from her bed. She answers the door thinking it's either one of the elderly couple. Instead it is another American red female squirrel like her.

"Uhm... How can I help you?", Tammy asks.

"Hiyee...", the other squirrel says in a hyper tone, waving a hand as if it was on fire. "My name is Glenda!"

Tammy glances over to her bed and back at Glenda. "Yes... Can I do anything for you?, Tammy asks.

"Yes... the old couple told me that there is another American red female squirrel like me and I had to meet her!", Glenda answers, "And Its You!"

"Uhm... No disrespect, but give me a minute please?", Tammy asks. All Glenda did was smile as she nods at her. Tammy closes the door momentarily to go over to the bed and clean up her papers and puts them in a folding file she bought weeks ago. Wrapping the folder with its tie string, Tammy shoves the whole thing between the bed and the wall. She then pushes her open backpack across the floor to the other wall by the bed. She slowly walks to the door and opens it.

"Hiyee...", Glenda repeats her self, still waving a hand as if it was on fire.

Tammy releases a pent up sigh as she turns away while keeping the door open. "Come in.", Tammy says as she slowly releases the door. She head to the bed and sits down as Glenda walks in.

Glenda walks in looking around, still hyper. "So this is your room?", she asks, and goes to the window and looks out. "Wow! You got the street view!" Tammy releases another pent up sigh. Glenda turns around to face her, "Would you want to trade rooms?"

"No I would not.", Tammy answers.

"I'm pay both our rents if you trade.", Glenda says in almost a high pitch squeal.

"No, but thank you.", Tammy replies.

Glenda looks around and sees a folding bike at the other corner opposite the bed by the dresser, but no TV or radio. "You bike ride a lot?", Glenda asks.

"Depends.", Tammy answers, watching Glenda walk by her and sits on the bed, facing her.

"Are you a size five? You look like a size five, just like me.", Glenda begins, "Maybe we can barrow each other's clothes. Do you party? I love parties! Guys getting me free drinks, and dancing and loud music, and..."

Tammy puts up her hand to her face, making her stop. "Look. Glenda? I'm not here to party or borrow your clothes or those things you do as a college kid. I'm here to find my family and I got a lot of work to do. But if you have a problem and think I can help, you can ask."

"Oh. I'm sorry.", Glenda replies.

"Don't be. Its not your fault that I am looking for my family.", Tammy tells her. Watching Glenda bite on her lower lip makes her think that she has to do something. "Look. Go put on something comfortable and warm, so we can do movie and talk after over coffee or something. But understand that I will not talk about my family. OK?", Tammy says and asks.

Glenda gives her a funny look, "Are you one of those girls that likes other girls?"

"I'm not a lesbian if you want to know. I do have a boyfriend.", Tammy answers.

"Oh. Well, I like both. One got too if they are going into the fashion industry.", Glenda tells her.

"Whoa! Don't sell yourself short, girl.", Tammy tells her. "God made you a female for a reason, and it's not sleep your way to advance yourself!"

"But it's the only way you can get to the top...", Glenda replies.

"No its not. You design something that the world likes and that will be your mark. There is no way I will sleep with anyone for gain and advancement for it cheapens my work when its already cheap because I'm willing to do that and not my own work!", Tammy tells her.

"You really think so?", Glenda asks.

"I know so.", Tammy tells her.

"Can I ask how?", Glenda asks.

Tammy gets up and looks into her backpack. She pulls out her Rescue Rangers cap and tosses it on Glenda's lap. She then goes back to sit on her bed.

"Look. I am a rescue ranger, and went through a lot of training. If I cheated on that training, if I went to bed with my instructor for a higher grade, I would not be able to do rescues because I would not be properly trained and prepared. The same with you. Besides, how many fashion designers got famous by sleeping with others to get to the top? Coco Chanel didn't. Esteé Lauder didn't. Helena Rubenstein didn't. Tommy Hilfiger didn't. Neither should you.", Tammy tells her.

Glenda just looks at her as if her brain had frozen.

"Look. If your stuff is good enough for the world to like it, then they will buy it.", Tammy tells her.

"You think so?", Glenda asks.

"I know so.", Tammy answers.

Glenda literally pounces her holding her tightly and shaking her from side to side, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Tammy manages to push her off, "You mind? I'm not that kind of girl!"

"I'm just saying thank you. No one has been so nice to me or tell me to be myself in my work.", Glenda tells her.

"Look, you can do your on thing, or get used and have others steal your things for themselves. That is you have to decide on and then take action to get there.", Tammy explains.

"Thank you...", Glenda replies, "I will."

"Look. Its not like I'm throwing you out, but I got things to do. See you around dinner?", Tammy says and asks.

"When is dinner?", Glenda asks.

"Around 6:00 in the evening. Old Mrs. Marino will call us. She makes excellent meals. I don't know about you or the others, but last semester I helped out in cleaning after dinner so to give her some rest. She does so much. And get so little in return.", Tammy explains.

"I have too much to do to help out.", Glenda lets out.

"That's not a problem. You go get that A in your classes. Only then can you set your mark on this Earth.", Tammy tells her, "Now get out. I got things to do."

"Alright, I'm leaving.", Glenda replies, "I'll see you later?"

"Around dinner time.", Tammy answers.

Glenda nods, and then says, "Thanks." She slowly gets up and leaves the room as if not wanting to leave but eventually does. When the door closes behind her, Tammy lets out a sigh.

She gets up and checks the lock on the door. Finding it locked, Tammy goes back to the bed and takes out the folder from between the edge of the bed and the wall. She opens the folder and resumes her data mining for information.

Dinner went well with a large roast of meat, vegetables, pasta and rice as a choice of starches. Gravy and tomato sauce compliments the meal along with juice, wine or soda. Mr. Marino complains that no one drinks wine anymore. As everyone retires to their room, Tammy stays behind to clean the table, cutlery, glasses and dishes. It is only this time can she relax her mind by taking it off the stress of the search to something more mundane and simple a task.

As Tammy puts away the last plate, Glenda comes downstairs dresses in a LBD as if she was going to a party. Tammy notices what she is wearing or little of it.

"We're just going to the movies, nothing more.", Tammy tells her.

"You got to look good no matter where you are going.", Glenda replies.

"Go change into jeans and boots. It's snowing outside to say the least. Want your tail to freeze off?", Tammy explains to her.

"Alright.", Glenda replies before leaving.

Tammy follows her up the stairs and heads into her room. She puts on her Uggs Boots, and her heavy coat. She puts her money, credit cards, identification cards, and passport into her small carry all which fits into the large pockets of the coat. Once dressed for the weather, she goes down stairs to call for a cab on her cellphone. Glenda comes downstairs a minute later.

Note: For non-American readers, a station wagon is American for an estate car


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13: A Night At The Movies. A Day In Between.  
-

With what is left of the Polancco Clan recovering their losses and in hiding, finding them out in their usual party and disco bar outing will be difficult. It is rumored that they were not in Milan or even Italy. For a cold January night, the partying does not stop to those willing to go seek it.

Tammy and Glenda step out of the cab in the downtown district where several movie theaters were located.

"So what will it be?", Tammy asks.

"I don't know. I came out to be with you.", Glenda answers.

"Figures.", Tammy says to herself.

"How about we go this way?", Glenda asks.

"Not there. The side streets here have various forms of adult entertainment.", Tammy answers, denying her request.

"You mean, porn?", Glenda asks.

"What else would be 'Adult Entertainment'?", Tammy answers. "And no, we're not going there."

"Alright. Maybe another day.", Glenda says.

"Maybe never.", Tammy replies, "I'm not into that sort of thing. It pollutes the mind."

"So... What movie?", Glenda asks.

"There's Star Wars Prequel III, Titanic II, Friday the 13th Never Ends, The Postman, many others though they will be in Italian. Just pick and choose.", Tammy asks.

"I have most of them on my laptop's hard drive in English. And what I don't have I can download from LimeWire and BearShare.", Glenda complains.

"I see.", Tammy says to herself. "Well, I don't have a laptop. Its at home in New York."

"You live in New York?", Glenda asks.

"All my life, until recently. That's where the Rescue Rangers are based.", Tammy answers.

"I lived in Boston all my live until I went to New York to attend college at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for a year and they told me to go to Milan to study art, culture and fashion to do the things I want to do.", Glenda tells her.

"Doesn't FIT teaches all that?", Tammy asks.

"They do, but not in the way it would make me famous. Tommy Hilfiger did the same thing. If I follow in his footsteps I should be famous too.", Glenda explains.

"Think of how many people did that before you, and even before him. Only he got famous? It only shows the hard word he did, not that he was given chances to get there. It's all hard work. Hard work you need to invest on yourself and your work.", Tammy tells her.

"I sorta figured much of that already. I just have to get it done.", Glenda replies.

"So get it done.", Tammy tells her. Glenda just sighs. "Lets go in here before we freeze to death.", Tammy adds.

Together they go into restaurant style café and take the seats at one of their tables. Tammy orders coffee and pastries for the both of them.

"You got a lot to do and so do I. I will do what I can to help around the house but I do not want to be bothered. If you need help, ask. I'll see what I can do. But I am not going to help you with your schoolwork or give opinion of your fashion designs. That's for you to do.", Tammy tells her.

"I see.". Glenda replies.

"I hope you do. There is nothing better than being interviewed and being able to say that it is all your work, that you done it all yourself.", Tammy says. Glenda just smiles a bit. "I'll give you this much. For me, make a rescue ensemble that is not uncomfortable or binding that one can have all the equipment they need in a rescue and lets see what you come up with. It has to be warm for cold days and waterproof for snowy and rainy days and for possible sea rescues."

"That sounds like a good idea.", Glenda replies.

"Good.", Tammy responds. "Its too late for a movie. Want to go home?"

"I want to see the night life that Milan is famous for.", Glenda answers.

"Believe me, its better during the spring and summer times, when you can wear that little black dress all you want. And more men are available too, not hibernating during the winter.", Tammy replies.

"Alright. Home it is. Might as well start studying too.", Glenda throws in.

"You got homework and did not tell me? We got to get you home right away.", Tammy tells her. Glenda just sighs. Tammy signals for the waiter and asks for the bill. Though it was just a few Euros, she hands him a Twenty Euro Bill and tells him to keep the change. Glenda finds it unbelievable that somebody would give more than a Five Euro tip and Tammy's actions almost that triples that.

Soon they were outside on the main street trying to hail a cab. They get one within a couple of minutes and it takes them home in under five minutes. They enter the house and into their rooms, quietly. Though it was around 9PM, Tammy prepares herself to go to sleep.

A Western Storm enters Milan from the Mediterranean Sea during the night and covers the city in a couple of feet of snow. Radio and TV announcements that morning tells the public of government facilities, schools, libraries and universities are closed for the next couple of days as the city clears out the snow. Looking out the window, Tammy is not happy with what she sees, and decides to hibernate the next couple of days away, only coming out for food and bathroom needs. The male students of the house were told to help out shovel snow off the steps, walkways and roof of the house. But something about opening the front door and finding four feet of snow blocking your path can be rather discouraging. Mr. Marino goes to the basement and gathers a few stored logs and places them in the fireplace. After cleaning out the chimney on the roof, a nice warm roaring fire burns in the fireplace. He has enough logs in the basement for the rest of the winter if it were to get this bad. In the past he had too, especially during WWII, when there was not fuel to burn to warm the house and wood was scarce; but he did managed to acquire enough scrap wood and paper to burn during those cold hard winters.

One would think that three bathrooms would be enough for a three-story family home with eight bedrooms, seven that are rented to college students: three males and four females. But when Tammy wakes up to use the facilities, they were all in use. She goes back to her room and waits for one of them to empty. It takes another half hour before she can use any of the facilities for herself. As is she does not like winter in Milan even though she has been in cold weather situations in New York. At least in New York she can take a chance and walk to the café and hang out with friends, everyone here is a stranger to her.

During hibernation she does not eat much, thus she misses out dinner. Strangely enough in her absence, Glenda and the other two female mouse students help out cleaning up the dining and kitchen areas after dinner. But in the middle of the night Tammy wakes up and heads to the kitchen for a bite to eat. She fixes something small from the leftovers and has a quiet meal by herself. She cleans up and puts away the dish and utensils she used.

The following day she was a bit more active and able to help around the house. Both the TV and Radio stations were mentioning of another impending storm with a foot of snow or more heading to Milan. Though they had enough food for the next few days, Mrs. Marino thought it was wise to stock up on food. Tammy decides to take Glenda with her to the supermarket as Mrs. Marino went to another supermarket with the female mice. Mr. Marino has the guys preparing for the long haul of the winter storms. They clear out the snow from the back yard and the front of the house.

In a couple of hours they all return with food from the supermarkets. Canned goods, cereals, bread, milk, eggs, assorted meats, pasta, rice, vegetables, and powdered goods like flour, were stuffed into the many bags that were brought in and placed on the table. With some help, Mrs. Marino was able to put away all the food in the cabinets and refrigerator.

With the library closed, there was nothing for Tammy to do but look at the printed materials that she has. But she has seen these papers again and again everyday since she generated them. It is to a point where she was getting tired of seeing them. It is times like this that she has thought of rather being at the café than where she is now. This is one of the few times where she locks her room and lets out her frustration and emotions into the pillow as to not be heard by the others.

In a half hour she collects herself and cleans herself up as to not let the others know of what she was doing. She props herself from the bed and looks out the window. It is snowing again, and snowing heavy. There were at least a couple of inches to cover everything that was shoveled away. She looks around and finds some children out there with sleds sliding around on the snow covered street. She thinks of a happier time of when she and her sister used too play in the snow.

As she looks the window there was a knock on the door. She does not want to answer but has too. She slowly gets up from the bed, as there was a second knock on the door. She takes the doorknob and opens the door. She finds Glenda on the other side about to knock on the door again.

"Yes, Glenda? What do you want?", Tammy asks, keeping her foot against the door to limit its travel.

"I'm just checking on you. You've been in your room almost two days.", Glenda answers.

"I was hibernating.", Tammy explains.

"You should not be hibernating! You got things to do.", Glenda tells her.

"I have nothing to do. There's too much snow outside.", Tammy replies.

"Don't be giving up because you can't go outside. You still have things to do. ", Glenda repeats herself.

"Yeah, like what?", Tammy asks.

"Like helping around the house.", Glenda answers.

"Mrs. Marino knows that I won't be able to help her everyday. I help out when I can.", Tammy tells her.

"But, if you spend all your time in your hibernating the winter away, you are going to be depressed and tired. Your energy is going to crash if you keep hibernating...", Glenda almost pleads.

Tammy opens the door fully to let her in before going to sit on her bed. Glenda follows and sits with, allowing the door close behind her.

"Look.", Glenda begins, "No one has treated me, had said things to me or about me like you. I consider you as a friend, and if I don't see you at least once in a day to see how you are doing, I worry."

"I'll be fine. It just I can't go to the library to do the research or do a search the city on my bike, there is nothing for me to do. But I'll be fine. I promise you, I'll be there to kick your ass when you need an ass kicking.", Tammy tells her.

"So come downstairs, please?", Glenda asks.

"I'll be down for dinner.", Tammy replies.

"You sure you do not want to come down now?", Glenda asks.

"No. Not now. But definitely later.", Tammy tells her.

"You sure?", Glenda asks.

"Yes, I'm sure.", Tammy answers.

"Alright then.", Glenda says in defeated a tone. She takes a glance out Tammy's window. "It's snowing again."

"I know.", Tammy replies. She looks around to the clock on the dresser. "Its only 2:30?"

"And it's cold too.", Glenda adds, "Mr. Marino has logs burning in the fireplace to keep the house from getting too cold because the boiler might give out when the oil runs out.

"When will that happen?", Tammy asks.

"Another day he thinks if we conserve the heat and keep the thermostat at 18C Degrees we should be fine. Usually he would get an oil delivery today, but the oil trucks are not able to go through the snow in this weather.", Glenda answers.

"I see. I think there is a second blanket in the dresser. I have to check.", Tammy says almost to herself.

"Would you mind if I sleep with you when the oil runs out?", Glenda asks.

"This is a tiny bed, we may not fit on it. I barely fit on it.", Tammy explains, "You sound like a younger sister trying to get something from her older... sister..." Tammy stops as she remembers Bink used to go into her bed when things got too cold or too scary for her.

"I am the youngest but I had two brothers and they were too busy making my day bad so I always went to daddy.", Glenda replies.

Tammy sighs, "I had mother and sister. Just the three of us."

"Well, since we don't have anyone now, how about each other?", Glenda asks.

"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. But if things get bad, I want you there for me. And I will be there for you.", Glenda tries to explain with half a smile.

"I'm going back to hibernate for a while and I will be downstairs for dinner.", Tammy tells her.

"I'll be here to wake you up if you forget.". Glenda tells her.

"I wont forget.", Tammy tells her.

"Alright. I'll see you later then.", Glenda says. She then gets up and heads to the door.

As she opens the door, she presses a button on the lock's door jam plate, unlocking it. Then she steps out and closes the door behind her. As she holds the door against the frame, she twists the knob slowly, making sure it is unlocked.

Not noticing this was going on, Tammy lies there on the bed and tries to go to sleep. Though she does not sleep, she thinks about planning some purchases: a small TV, radio, laptop and a maybe another Sony PSP with a few games. She thinks that with these things that she could take better actions in finding Bink.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14: The Coldest Week In Milan  
-

Dinner was one of the best meals to date. Tammy found it strange that Glenda and one of the female mice, Marisa would be down stairs helping to clean out the dining and kitchen area.

"You think that all this talk about global warning, that we would not have much snow or cold weather.", Marisa tries to make conversation.

"Its just winter.", Tammy replies.

"Well in Lower Italy, we don't have this much snow, maybe in the mountains but not in the cities and villages.", Marisa adds.

"It snows like this in Boston, sometimes." Glenda throws in.

Tammy does not want to say as she puts away the last of the washed utensils.

"The problem is when all that snow freezes to ice during the night.", Marisa tells them, "We might get stuck here and freeze."

"We should have enough oil for the boiler to keep us warm.", Glenda replies, "And Mr. Marino has those logs for the fireplace to keep us warm. Not many places have a working fireplace like we do."

"Look. I'm done. I'm going to my room and hibernate.", Tammy tells them.

Tammy leaves the area and goes to her room. Grabbing the doorknob to put in her key, she finds the door unlocked. She opens the door and steps into her room while holding her door open. She checks the locking mechanism, and then turns the key in the lock. It mechanism inside the lock is activated in Locking Mode. She checks the outside doorknob to make sure it's locked and closes the door. She goes into her bed and lies down.

The temperature in her room has notably dropped. She goes through the dresser to find another possible blanket then layers it on top of the other. Sitting on the bed she takes off her sneaker, sox, and jeans, then leaving on her t-shirt, bra and panties before crawling under the blankets to stay warm. Taking the blankets almost over her head, she huddles with the pillow and takes a light nap.

Like most of her dreams as of late were not finding Bink despite being to so close to her and seeing her that she could reach out and grab her but something takes her away before she could. Along in the dreams are Johan Polancco chasing and shooting at her, and the men and girls on the photograph keeping her from approaching Bink. It is so daunting that her conscious and subconscious worlds sometimes collide on it.

She wakes up suddenly as she does sometimes, sitting up and throwing off the blankets. She looks around the room.

"It's just a dream, Tammy.", she tells herself.

She looks around and finds the clock. The numbers just switch to twelve midnight. She shakes her head for a moment. A slight tingling deep inside tells her what time of year it is, though she refuses to pay attention to her biological rhythms. It is a matter of ignoring it as the cycle takes her through its motions. She goes to the kitchen, finding the air chilly and the floor cold enough to make her fur stand up on end as she steps into the hallway. She goes downstairs in little what she was wearing.

The living room was empty but the fire in the fireplace burned brightly, keeping this section of the house warm. She thought about putting the fire out because of a possible safety hazard but finds a thin screen protecting the house from the flying embers. Kneeling in front of the fire to check the screen, she gets a warm rush over her. She pushes away the feeling of being wanting to be receptive to a certain someone's hold. But she can't have that and like in years before, she pushes that feeling away and tries to ignore it.

"You've been alone too long, and when you meet somebody who you want to share your time with, this has to happen...", she thinks to herself. She slowly gets up and goes for the kitchen for some water. But in rinsing out the glass, she looks out the window and the howling winds churn up the snow to a near whiteout condition outside. She could only think about being stuck in the house for more days than she would like when she should be out searching for Bink.

She drinks her water and washes out the glass she drank from to put it away with the others. Back in the living room, she takes a chair and puts it in front of the fireplace and sits down for a moment. There she could only think about what do and how to do it. Taking cabs to and from the Library is going to be expensive, but if she has to do that, then she will do it. It would just mean taking out more money from Johan's card.

She wakes herself up as she feels herself wanting to go to sleep. Getting up and putting the chair where she found it, she goes upstairs to her room and back into her bed. Crawling under the covers, she goes to sleep in a short while.

Though the sun rises at 6:30AM, the sun could not come out from the clouds. The day starts as a dark gray and making its way to a middle shade of grey, but it was not enough to wake up Tammy with its brightness until after 10:30.

Similar to a friend she knows, she curses the light coming in from the window. She stretches and slowly opens her eyes. Reality sets in as she gets used to the light, like a bright fog coming in from the window. Looking at the clock she soon realizes how late is it. She sits up on the bed and realized it was cold but not yet freezing. Thankfully the backpack kept the clothes from getting too cold, as putting them on warmed up from her body heat quickly.

She searches for her sneakers and puts them before she gets up and out the room. The house was a bit warmer than her room but not by much. She takes her time going about the floor, listening to the noises of the others in their rooms but not hearing much of anything. Much the activity's sound was coming from the main floor down stairs.

Going down the stairs she finds everyone downstairs in the living room, all of them studying and wrapped around in their blankets. She walks into the kitchen, knowing that Glenda would come out of her blanket and follow her. In the kitchen she finds Mrs. Marino making hot chocolate and sandwiches. She turns around and sees Tammy.

"Good Morning Tammy.", Mrs. Marino says to her, "Want me to make you breakfast?"

"I can make it myself, but thank you.", Tammy replies.

"You sure?", Mrs. Marino asks.

"Alright. I would like a simple omelet and cheese sandwich, please.", Tammy replies.

"I'll get it done for you, just as soon as I get these to the others. You sit down and rest. Mrs. Marino tells her. She then picks up a tray with cups of hot chocolate and a pile of half cut sandwiches and makes her way to the living room and serves the others. She comes back in less then five minutes without the tray.

Mrs. Marino gets the eggs, cheese, bread, a bowl and the frying pan to start on Tammy's meal. In a couple of minutes she was putting the cheese omelet sandwich in front of Tammy on a plate.

"Enjoy my dear. You need to bring your strength up.", Mrs. Marino tells her, putting a cup of hot chocolate in front of her and another in front of Glenda. She then leaves the room.

"Hibernating again?", Glenda asks.

"There is nothing to do. I don't have a TV or Radio, and the one down here is all about the storm.", Tammy answers, "not having a laptop does not help either."

"Well, maybe after this storm is over we can go to the apple store and pick up a Macbook for you. You can buy for me so I can se my student ID and get a hug discount. And then I could connect it to the wireless internet from the school and you can have to use it here.", Glenda explains.

"What about software?", Tammy asks.

"Mac comes with a lot of software, but you can use my software. I'll install it and its yours.", Glenda tells her.

"I'll see if I have the money.", Tammy says to her.

"I can get it for you and you can pay me back in installments.", Glenda tries to convince her.

Tammy counts off on her fingers, "Five months?"

"Huh?", Glenda lets out.

"School end in early June, so I would have five months to pay you off.", Tammy explains.

"Well, pay me one-hundred euros every other week and it would be paid off more or less...", Glenda adds then asks, "You can afford one hundred euros every other week, right?"

"Its not that. It's the principle of the thing. You want us to be friends?", Tammy tries to explain, watching Glenda nods her head to the question. Tammy then says, "We can't be friends if I owe you money."

"Why not?", Glenda asks.

"Because friends don't owe things like money to hold over the each other.", Tammy tells her, then explains, "Look. It's not the money. It's the time. And I might have to leave soon to go find my family. Could be next week. Could be next month. Could be tomorrow. I just don't know when I will be leaving. And when I leave, I do not want owing anyone anything. Even if they are a friend."

"Alright then, how about we go check prices?", Glenda asks.

"Today?", Tammy asks.

"Why not? Its only a little bit of snow.", Glenda answers.

"Its almost over three feet of snow. No cab is going to come here.", Tammy states to her.

"We can walk it. It's what? Five, six blocks to the tourist center and the expensive stores where Apple Milan is in. Right?", Glenda tries to explain.

"Try eight blocks, and in three feet of snow.", Tammy complains.

"Mostly everyone shoveled out their sidewalks so we could do it.", Glenda tries to convince her.

"OK, after lunch then. But if it gets too rough out there, then we're heading back. And only to check the prices if the stores are open.", Tammy tells her.

"Only if the stores are open.", Glenda repeats Tammy's last words.

Tammy finishes off the sandwich and then the hot chocolate, but notices something not right with Glenda.

"Alright girl, what's wrong?", Tammy asks.

"Well, we're going to the stores, so I should be OK.", Glenda answers.

"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.

"Well, you know. You're a red squirrel too. Isn't it bothering you too?", Glenda asks.

"Oh. Well, yeah. But I'm ignoring much of it.", Tammy answers.

"What about... you know. Down there?", Glenda asks.

"Don't tell me you don't have any pads?", Tammy asks and then sighs.

"I thought I could get them a couple of days ago, but between the storm and studying, I forgot.", Glenda explains.

"Alright. I got a box upstairs but I don't know if it will last between the two of us.", Tammy replies.

"Can I have one now?", Glenda asks.

"Come on... I'll give you one, but then you are going to your room and put on some fresh warm clothes so we can go now so you wont be owing me anything.", Tammy answers.

"Its just a pad...", Glenda complains.

"I'm pulling your leg. Now lets go.", Tammy says.

Together they go upstairs to her room. Tammy goes into the dresser and pulls out her box of feminine pads for Glenda. She takes two wrapped pads from the box and heads out the room to hers. Tammy puts away the box but counts the number of pads that are left, figuring out the math in her head. If it lasts for two weeks, she should be fine. If it lasts for a month, then she would need to buy another box. She thinks to herself for an answer as to why Squirrel Mating Season must be a pain at times. Especially when it falls on Winter Hibernation season.

Tammy goes into her backpack and pulls out her boots, thermal underwear, and three pairs of sox. Taking off her outer layers, she puts on the thermal underwear over her t-shirt and panties, then she puts on her outer layers back on. Sitting on her bed, she puts on two pairs of sox and then wraps them in plastic from a plastic bag. The third pair of sox is put on then the Uggs boots. She remembers somewhere that wrapping one's feet in plastic to keep then dry if the boots leaks or snow/water comes in from the sides.

She gets up and checks her small carryall purse inside the heavy coat from the date they had days before the snowstorm. Inside she finds her money, credit cards, identification cards and the passport inside. She puts the carryall purse into a large pocket inside the coat. Checking the coat, she finally realizes that the large outside pocket and the inside pocket are the same pocket except with a flappable thin layer in between. Moving the flap gave access to the inside pocket from the outside, but if one just puts their hand inside, they would only access the outside pocket. How ingenious she thought it was.

She puts on the coat along with other things for the winter walk and steps out into the hall. Glenda was stepping out also dressed for the winter walk, or so she thinks. Unlike Tammy who has at least three layers under her coat, Glenda only had barely two. Nonetheless they go out together.

Though much of the sidewalk has been shoveled the day before, there were still a few inches of the white stuff on the ground. There were a few outside still shoveling the snow, but they continue on their way to the stores in the tourist section. They find that the closer to the tourist section they get, the cleaner it was from the snow. They also find that most of the stores were closed except for those trying to make money on such a bad day. At the convenience drug store was open, which they were able to buy a box of pads each along with a few other things for themselves. Strangely Glenda buys a few dolls.

They window shop for a while, looking over items and their prices. At the Apple Store they find a MacBook Air on sale at 800 Euros instead of 1200 Euros. But at across the street at the electronics store there was a Dell Inspirion for 400 Euros.

"Macs are much better than windows, and I have all the software for it.", Glenda says.

"But the Dell comes with all the software for free.", Tammy says.

After their little Mac vs. PC Laptops discussion, they start to head home. Glenda feeling a bit warm decides to open her coat to cool off. Tammy's boots have collected some snow but the plastic layer kept her feet dry. It takes them a little longer for them to get home.

Once in her room and after taking off her coat and winter items, Tammy sits on her bed to take off her boots. It takes some effort to get them off as the wet sock inside each of them held them in place. She finds the wet sock after taking off the boot and wonders why they are wet. She takes off the thermal layer while putting back on her outer layers again along with her sneakers and then cleans up her room from the puddles from the traces of melting snow from her boots and the wet socks. Glenda was in her room doing the same thing stripping down, dressing up and cleaning up as well.

Tammy gives her papers about her sister a look over and starts to plan an idea to find Bink. It starts with the hospital and the orphanage she was sent to. Looking over the papers the IRAS agent gave her she gets names and addresses. But there was too much snow to deal with to do such travels around the city. She writes down her notes on a notebook she has and then puts everything away. She still has a couple of hours before dinnertime.

She sits on the bed close to the window and looks outside. A young adult male mouse pushes a gas-powered snow blower down the block, throwing much of snow into the street. Unfortunately a snowplow truck goes through the street, throwing much of the snow back onto the sidewalk. The children go back to the streets with their sleds and throws snowballs at each other. A few walk by with their ice skates to a rink she does not know. Then she looks away and at the bed. Without thinking she lays down on her side. Without realizing it she falls into a light sleep.

A loud thud of a wrongly thrown snowball against her window wakes her up. She looks around and then out the window, seeing a group of children running away. Looking at the window, she sees no signs of breaking or cracking. She continues to look around, finding the clock on the dresser saying that it is a half hour before dinner. Tammy slowly gets her legs over the edge of the bed, finding the room chilly and the floor cold. Pushing the blankets off her, she goes about the room and puts on her clothes again. Before going down stairs, she had to the bathroom first where she washes her face. She wipes her face down with some tissue and checks herself again in the mirror. Once she thinks she's OK, she steps out of the bathroom.

Tammy gets downstairs and finds Glenda and Marisa assisting Mrs. Marino set up the table. The others in the living room were finishing up their studies.

"Oh. Sit down.", Mrs. Marino tells Tammy as she turns around to put one of the serving bowls on the table. Others begin to gather for dinner. Today's meal was a thick beef stew served over pasta. It was better than it sounded. A simple custard accent the meal as dessert along with the wine Mr. Marino was serving everyone.

After the meal, Tammy stays behind to help clean up. She was surprised that Glenda and both female mice stayed behind to help, making the job quick and easy.

"So, who are you?", Tammy asks.

"Me?", the other female mouse answers in question.

"I already know Marisa and Glenda.", Tammy answers.

"Well, my name is Lucinda. Its an old Italian name.", she replies.

"Well Tammy is supposed to be an old Irish or Welsh name but I never gave that much thought.", Tammy explains.

"You got any boyfriends?", Lucinda asks.

Tammy freezes in place in mid motion of wiping down a plate. She thinks about it for a moment before answering, "Yes. I do have a boyfriend but it's... he's in New York City."

"Is it serious?", Lucinda asks.

"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.

"You know. Romantic, intimate, sexually connected?", Lucinda asks.

"We're serious, he even proposed to me but I refused.", Tammy answers.

"Why?", all three ask together.

Tammy looks at them. "Look. I'm busy looking for a missing member of my family. Then I will return home in New York and finish school, and if he proposes again, I might accept. But until then, I have a lot to do.", she explains.

"What if you never find that missing family member?", Marisa asks.

"What if he moves on and marries somebody else?", Glenda asks.

"I'm going to do what it takes to find my missing family member.", Tammy says in choosing her words carefully, "As for him, I wish him the best if he moves on and then I'll move on."

"I'm just guessing, if you're 21 than you are at your prime right now. It does not get better than this.", Lucinda explains.

"I'm twenty.", Tammy replies, "But that is not important if I cant find my family."

"But you're missing out in making a family of your own. Isn't that what you want? I do.", Lucinda says.

"I do too, but I want to finish school first.", Marisa replies.

Tammy then puts the last plate she was wiping onto the rack. She starts walk away, holding in her emotions, "Excuse me, I got things to do."

Tammy walks up the stairs to her room and closes the door behind her. She throws herself onto the bed and grabs the pillow, crying into it. It takes her almost 20 minutes to bring herself up from her emotional crash. But when she looks around, she finds the place dark as night fell about the city.

There was also a light knocking on the door. She wipes her face with the blanket, and turns her pillow around to the other side before getting up and answering it.

Glenda and the two mouse girls were there behind Mrs. Marino, who hands Tammy a small cup with a spoon sticking out of it as she walks by her into the room.

"It's a custard. Enjoy, and while you're enjoying, the girls want to tell you something.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

Tammy looks at the custard and then at the girls, almost knowing what they were going to say.

"We're sorry.", Marisa begins.

"Yeah. We didn't mean to insult you or your family or your life's decisions.", Lucinda adds.

"I didn't mean to question your boyfriend's intensions.", Glenda throws in.

Tammy sighs as she steps further into the room.

"You should accept their apologies.", Mrs. Marino points out to her.

"I just want to be left alone, Mrs. Marino. I thank you for all you done and given me, but that is all I can say.", Tammy says.

"Can I ask why that is all you can say?", Mrs. Marino asks.

"I'm just tired. Tired of people thinking they know about my situation and making comments as if they live my life. I got things to do, and they do not involve being involved in petty talk about me, or the things I do. I do not comment on their lives, tell them how to live it, so why should they do that to me? That is what I am tired about. So if you don't mind, I want to be let alone.", Tammy tells her and the others. She puts the cup of custard on the dresser before sitting down on the bed.

"We will deal with this tomorrow then.", Mrs. Marino says, then signals for the others to leave with her.

Glenda steps away with the others and heads into her room. She comes out ten minutes later and knocks on Tammy's door. In a couple of minutes Tammy answers.

"What do you want this time?", Tammy asks.

Glenda holds out an adult female squirrel doll at her, "It's not a red squirrel like us, but she has a fluffy tail."

"Huh?", Tammy lets out.

"She's wearing a Rescue Ranger Uniform. Well, the start of one.", Glenda explains.

"Oh. Is that all?", Tammy asks.

"I thought you would like it.", Glenda comments.

"I'm just tired.", Tammy replies.

"Going to sleep soon?", Glenda asks.

"I'm guessing that you want too?", Tammy answers in question.

"Well. I do have a broken window that needs to be fixed. Its covered in plastic but Mr. Marino wont fix it until he gets the glass to replace it.", Glenda answers.

"Sounds far fetched to me.", Tammy says almost to herself. After a while she tells her, "Come inside before the others see you and start asking questions."

Glenda walks into the room once Tammy steps to her bed and sits down on it. She puts the doll on the dresser, seeing the cup of custard still uneaten.

"You going to eat that?", Glenda asks.

"Maybe.", Tammy answers.

"If you are not going to eat it, its going to turn bad if its left out like that.", Glenda explains.

Tammy lets out a sigh before reaching for the custard, and then eats it in a couple of gulps. She then puts the cup back on the dresser and sits down on the bed.

Once sitting down she takes off her sneakers and sox, then undoes her belt and unbuttons the pants.

"You sleeping with your clothes on?", Tammy asks.

"No. Wait. Never mind.", Glenda replies before taking off her sneakers.

Tammy gets up and shimmies out of her jeans and then sits on the bed to get them off her ankles. She looks at Glenda for a second.

"How are you in your squirrel rituals?", Tammy asks.

"What you mean?", Glenda answers in question.

"Friends and family gathering together to keep warm on the coldest of winter days.", Tammy explains.

"My family did that until I started to develop, stupid brothers couldn't keep their hands off my breasts.", Glenda replies.

"Then you know. Touch me in such a way that could be consider sexual, I'm breaking that nose of yours in your sleep.", Tammy says.

"But... nothing is going to happen.", Glenda replies.

"Then keep it that way.", Tammy says as she gets into the blankets. She curls up in a ball on the side furthest from the wall. "Now turn off the lights and get into bed."

Glenda gets up and turns off the lights in the room, and finds her way in the blankets. Once under the blankets, she curls up into a ball next to Tammy.

"Tammy, is this making you uncomfortable?", Glenda says next to her ear.

"My mother and sister used to sleep together during the cold winters nights, so I'm used to having a girl next to me.", Tammy answers.

"How about a friend?", Glenda asks.

"A friend too, but she was a mouse and not squirrel.", Tammy answers.

"Can you tell me about it?", Glenda asks.

"What's to tell? We were on a training mission on a mountain and we got caught in a storm. And for some reason she was beginning to freeze, so we stayed together inside two sleeping bags like we are now to stay warm. But that was the only time with anyone outside of my family.", Tammy explains.

"What about your boyfriend?", Glenda asks.

"Alright, I slept with my boyfriend once. It was a few weeks before I left to come here.", Tammy answers.

"You think that if you didn't leave, would you be sleeping more often with him?", Glenda asks.

"Maybe.", Tammy answers. She turns around to face Glenda. "Don't take this the wrong way.", Tammy tells her before turning around and giving her a kiss on the forehead. She then turns back around on the bed.

"What was that for?" Glenda ask.

"It used to put my sister to sleep, maybe it can do the same for you. Now go to sleep.", Tammy tells her. She forces herself to go to sleep.

After a couple of minutes, Glenda tries to ask Tammy another question but Tammy was not saying a word.

"Alright. Good night Tammy.", Glenda says before trying to put herself to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15: You Can't Always Get What You Want  
-

It has been a long cold week but it has stopped snowing for a few days now. The rising temperature has started the snow to melt but slowly. The inner layers of snow were still cold enough to stay in solid form. And it took Mr. Marino three days to fix the broken windowpane in Glenda's room, according to Glenda.

Glenda wakes up first as she always has and sneaks out of Tammy's room, pretending to go to the bathroom. There she goes through her usual morning routine and gets ready for the day. It's a Wednesday that feels like a Monday, for it's the first day of classes since the blizzards that hit the city the week before. Though the sidewalks and streets are now passable, there was enough snow about to remind everyone of the storm. At least for Tammy, the library was open once more.

The Internet has little in what news Tammy could find. Even with a week of time passed by, nothing. But Tammy has another idea and brings it to a test by checking out the names and addresses listed in the IRAS report. She finds the orphanage and the hospital's addresses verified. A Google map gives their location and pictures of their entrances. She makes plans to go there on Friday, a day she would know they would be busy winding down for the weekend. But until then there was still a couple of days to live out.

She leaves the library early deciding to go do some shopping for the things she thought she needed: a small TV, radio, laptop and a Sony PSP with a few games. At least she can get wireless Internet access with the Sony PSP if she could not with the laptop. Between the tourist area and the shopping centers she would be able to find these things. The electronics games store is where she gets a used Sony PSP for less than one hundred euros, adding a coupe of games; she totals one hundred and fifty euros. In the department store is where she finds a DVD player with a built-in 18cm TV on sale for seventy-five euros. In the hobby section she finds a Yaesu VX-2 radio for two hundred euros, similar to the one Fernando gave her as part of the Rescue Rangers communications gear. She needed to use her Rescue Rangers ID card to get it. Besides getting AM and FM radio stations, it can receive any signal from a few Kilohertz in the Long Wave radio frequencies and to the microwave satellite frequencies besides transmitting on various programmed frequencies. At the high-end tourist area, she thinks about the laptops for sale at the Apple Milan store and the local computer store. Money was not an issue for her, having the cash from Johan's credit card and from the cashed victim's check. Size was an issue for her. The MacBook Air was definitely thin but long and wide. The Dell Inspirion was definitely too big. Then she finds something that catches her eye – tiny Net-books laptops on the far end of computer section in the store. She checks out a few of them and decides on the Leveno Idea Pad S-10e for its size, speed and software options. Under one hundred and eighty euros, it was cheaper than the radio. Though she bought a lot, it was not too cumbersome or heavy to carry and everything was small enough to fit into one bag.

The walk home seemed easy now that she had those things she thinks she needs. She gets into the house before 3PM, seeing the college students study by the fire. She takes her stuff up stairs into her room where she dumps the items onto the bed. The TV and radio are taken out of their boxes and gets put on the dresser where they are plugged in to a nearby outlet. The Sony PSP is also put with them for the moment, still in its box. The box with the laptop inside gets put on the bed and carefully taken out of the box. It was tiny, but opens to a 20cm screen and a three-quarter sized keyboard, just right for her thin fingers. She reads over the instructions, which says that the battery must be charged for four hours before use. She looks at the dresser and thinks that she needs a multi-outlet power strip for her things, deciding to unplug the radio and plugs in the laptop's power pack to the outlet and the laptop itself. She then sits on the bed and looks at what she bought, thinking that she had accomplished something. She hopes that she will be able to do better in her sister's search.

She goes back to reading the laptop's owners and software manuals, taking mental notes on what the unit has: Windows XP Pro, MS Office Student Edition, Internet Explorer, Media Player, and Roxio CD/DVD Burning software; on the software side; 2 Gigabytes of RAM and 40 Gigabytes on the hard drive, and three USB slots. She finds an external USB CD/DVD-RW drive was in the box. A knock on the door interrupts her concentration. Tammy gets up and opens the door, finding Glenda on the other side. She was holding up a nylon style bomber jacket.

"Tammy! Here!", Glenda says as she thrusts the jacket at her.

"Huh?", Tammy responds to having to catch the jacket thrown at her. She takes a couple of steps back into the room as she catches the jacket. Glenda walks in and closes the door.

"What you think?", Glenda asks.

"What is this?", Tammy asks.

"It's a prototype for a rescue jacket.", Glenda answers, taking the jacket and explains each part. "These metal rings on the bottom are for hooking things onto. The pockets are double lined, double sized and Velcro closeable. These long side pockets are for putting things like ropes and things and these belts hold them in place, and the back is a giant panel with a Velcro top seal you can put things like a laptop or clip board or a small breathing tank. And there is a harness inside to support it and you for a rope climb or rescue."

"Oh. I think you need to join me on a rescue to understand what a jacket needs. But some of those things are excellent ideas.", Tammy tells her.

"You think so?", Glenda asks.

"I know so.", Tammy tells her, then asks, "You done with your homework?"

"Most of it.", Glenda answers.

"And why not all of it?", Tammy asks.

"I have to be at the University Library to access some files there. And you know the library has been closed due to the storm.". Glenda answers but not telling the truth.

"I see. You better get all done when you return from school tomorrow.", Tammy tells her.

"Oh I will! I definitely will!" Glenda tells her.

"Anything else?", Tammy asks.

"Well. Its up to you, but would you mind if we slept together one last time?", Glenda asks.

"What for? Tonight is the first warmest night in a while.", Tammy asks.

Glenda leans towards to her, "Please. I don't know how to say it, but having your body next to mine relaxes me and I'm able to sleep better."

Tammy just looks at her.

"No. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing sexual about it, I swear. It s just...", Glenda tries to explain.

"Its you being receptive and wanting of somebody next to you, because I'm going through it too. It is Squirrel Mating season and if one has no release, they could go crazy.", Tammy tells her.

"So you understand?", Glenda asks.

"Of course I do. Its just I can control it better because my mother taught me how too.", Tammy says as she looks at Glenda. "Oh alright. But after tonight, no more."

"Just one more thing, please?", Glenda asks.

"What is it?", Tammy asks, afraid of the answer.

"I need to sit down and you hold me. Its like I got a lot to say but no way to say it no and one to say it to.", Glenda explains.

Tammy thought that she would have this problem with Bink as she did in the past, or to have done with the one she wishes she were with as of late, but to have it with somebody who she barely knows, she released a frustrated sigh before climbing on the bed. She positions herself at the corner by the wall and the head board, sitting there, parting her legs for Glenda to sit in front of her.

She pats the mattress in front of her, "Come here and sit down. This will be your only chance before I change my mind."

Glenda gets on the bed and sits in front of her, leaning her back against Tammy's front and sliding down until her head was under Tammy's breasts. She wraps her tail around Tammy's back to get comfortable. She closes her eyes for bit and sighs.

"Better?", Tammy asks.

"Much better but not perfect.", Glenda answers.

"What would make it perfect?", Tammy asks.

"You being a guy or a girl with a huge strap on doing me lovely right now.", Glenda answers.

"I did not want to hear that answer.", Tammy tells her.

"Its true, aint it? Don't you want to have sex too?", Glenda asks.

"I may want too but I know I'm not going to, so why bother?", Tammy ask.

"What if one of those guys downstairs studying was a squirrel instead of a mouse, would you want to try?", Glenda asks.

"No. Because I believe that sex would be with the one I love and not to one who take my primal urges on. That's why I want to be married before I have sex.", Tammy tells her.

"You don't know what you're missing.", Glenda tells her.

"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.

"You know. Sometimes sex within itself is great. Yeah its great when it's the one you love or think you love, but by itself, it's better than just your fingers.", Glenda tells her.

"I'm not listening!", Tammy says with her fingers in her ears.

"Don't be such a prude, Tammy.", Glenda tells her, "It's OK to be a virgin but being a virgin only lasts for so long. You can be sexually inexperienced but polluted sexually in the mind."

"Porn does that to you. That's why I don't want to watch it.", Tammy says to her.

"I'm sure you seen some of it before. Everyone has.", Glenda tries to get an answer from her.

"I did, a few times, at school. There was this girl named Beth and she brought these sex magazines of couples doing it to school and showed it to all the girls, including me. I was interested then about it, still am now but I don't want to share my naked body to be photographed for everyone to see, especially doing it with some guy!"

"One day you're going to do it, whether it's with your husband or some guy you just met, but when you do, you're going to ask yourself 'what's the fuss was about?' Mark my word on that.", Glenda explains.

"That might be true, but until then, I will remain a virgin and it will be done with the man I marry.", Tammy replies.

"Alright then. I'll respect that. But I bet you're creaming your panties right now for some action.", Glenda says.

"Just as you are too because of this time of the season. But I can ignore the urges. How about you?", Tammy replies and asks.

"To an extent I can ignore the urges. But there are times I want to burst at the seams and scream, but I cannot do that. So I have to do little things to keep my mind off it.", Glenda explains herself.

"Little things, like what?", Tammy asks.

"Please don't get mad at me... I consider you as a friend, as a best friend...", Glenda answers to evade the question.

"Little things like what?", Tammy asks more sternly.

"Like what we are doing now. And sleeping with you...", Glenda sheepishly says.

"Glenda!", Tammy almost yells, "You been using me!"

"No. I haven't. Hear me out, please.", Glenda replies.

"You got two minutes before I kick you out my room.", Tammy tells her.

Glenda sighs before getting the courage to answer her friend. "I hate this time of year. If left unchecked, ignoring the urges gives me migraines. As a little girl because of it I had to see doctors who gave me pills for the headaches and nervous attacks. But that did not stop the urges and as I grew older I needed more pills. But I discovered that if I took things easy with a friend like I am with you, I don't get the headaches and the nervous attacks lessen. First it was with one of my brothers, and then with my boyfriend and even girlfriends. But I don't mean anything bad by you. Being with you makes me relaxed, like I can take on the world again. And there is nothing sexual about it. Not between you and I.", she explains, then adds, "I'm sorry."

Tammy sighs. "Its OK. I think if I were in your condition I would be doing the same thing too. So is that why you're always hawking for my attention?", she says and asks.

"Yeah.", Glenda answers.

"I can understand then. But you better not be a pest when its all over", Tammy tells her.

"I promise I wont. Cross my heart and all that other stuff.", Glenda promises.

"You better.", Tammy replies.

"So you got some new stuff?", Glenda asks to change the subject.

"Yeah. Got a radio, DVD Player with a built in TV, a Sony Play Station Portable, and a tiny laptop they call a NetBook.", Tammy answers.

"Why not a Mac Powerbook or a MacBook laptop?", Glenda asks.

Tammy points at her backpack, "Because everything has to fit in there when I go home or move elsewhere to continue my search for my sister."

"Sister? I thought you were searching for your family?", Glenda asks.

"I found out my mother died before moving here. But my sister disappeared and I'm looking for her. She's only 10.", Tammy answers.

"You mom's dead? What happened?", Glenda asks,

"It's a long story, one I wont give out the details now. But if I have to leave, I will tell you everything so in case something happens and you lose contact with me, you can call the police.", Tammy answers. She lets out a sigh and then says, "Here I am looking for my sister, and instead I got a friend."

"Hey, I ain't exactly peanut butter.", Glenda playfully complains.

"I know. But as my mother used to tell me, 'without family, you have nothing.' Now with her gone, I have that much less and I'll have nothing if I cant find my sister.", Tammy tries to hold back her tears.

"That's why you go out and start your own family that what's his name.", Glenda tries to reassure her.

"His name is Fernando. But he could have gone for somebody else since he has so many lady friends.", Tammy tries to explain.

"Sounds to me that he's a player.", Glenda states.

"Far from it. He's... hard to explain.", Tammy tries to refute.

"We got plenty of time.", Glenda tells her.

"Well, he's about 35...", Tammy begins.

"Ooo... an older guy. He must be married.", Glenda tries to insinuate.

"Well. Truthfully, he was married.", Tammy tries to explain.

"Divorced. I bet he left her.", Glenda tries to point out.

"Let me explain, alright?", Tammy tells her.

"Alright then, finish what you were saying.", Glenda tells her in turn.

"He's a widow for one. He married in his early twenties and she was killed in a crime a few months later.", Tammy tries to explain.

"And he told you this?", Glenda asks.

"No. Several people who know of his past told me. Its also in the Rescue Rangers files on him.", Tammy tells her.

"Sad but alright. Now about his lady friends.", Glenda almost demands.

"I noticed he does not have any guy friends, just lady friends.", Tammy says.

"So? Maybe he's turned gay. Something like that could cause so much emotional trauma that he could have switched.", Glenda points out.

"Oh, he's not gay. Far from it.", Tammy lets out.

"And how would you know.", Glenda asks.

"Lets just say that I almost lost my virginity to him on more than one occasion before I came here.", Tammy answers. She continues, "Anyways. He and his EMT Partner argue all the time like they are married, but its how their friendship works. Then there his first partner who was his wife's beast friend, the sexual between them is unbearable that even I can sense it. Its like they were twins separated from birth and later found each other or something. Then there's this fairy that is really close to him. They say that he rescued her from being killed, but it seems to be more than that at times. And these are not the only women around him. He has a daughter who is in her twenties, and another daughter in her late twenties."

"Late twenties? Something is not adding up if he's 35!", Glenda says.

"They could be more lady friends that act like his daughters, I don't know.", Tammy throws to throw her off.

"Hmmm... He could be a sugar daddy to those women.", Glenda points out.

"The younger daughter is a doctor at the hospital and clinic where the Rescue Ranger work, and his older daughter I only heard about runs her own company building schools in South America. They are both rich, they don't need his money.", Tammy explains.

"What about his first partner?", Glenda asks.

"She's well off. She got me a few expensive dresses and other things.", Tammy answers.

"And his current partner?", Glenda asks.

"She supports herself with what she makes with the rescue rangers and with a few investments she made years ago.", Tammy answers.

"What about other lady friends?", Glenda asks.

"I'm sure there are others, but I would not know them for I have not seen them.", Tammy answers.

"Maybe they are protecting him because of who ever killed his wife wants to kill him.", Glenda points out.

"Never thought of that.", Tammy replies.

"I don't know him but it seems that there are too many in the way for you to get with him. Unless you think he's worth it.", Glenda says.

"He's worth it.", Tammy says more to herself than out loud.

"He better be. If I find out that he hurt you, I'm going to put a hurting on him!", Glenda tells her.

"That wont be necessary, there is a long line of others willing to the job.", Tammy says.

"Well, he better take care of you, or I swear.", Glenda replies.

"Don't worry about it. I know how to deal with guys, they haven't got into my panties yet.", Tammy tells her.

"I bet. You haven't let anyone into your panties.", Glenda says.

"What is that supposed to mean?", Tammy asks.

"Nothing. Just nothing. But you are the virgin between us both.", Glenda answers.

"Yeah, I am. But you're making it sound like a bad thing.", Tammy says to her.

"You take it as you like. Being a virgin at your age is something rare.", Glenda explains.

"Alright then, when did you start having sex? And with who?", Tammy asks.

"With who, it was my boyfriend from high school. When, well when I just turned sixteen during the summer. And where, at his parents house by their pool while they were gone...", Glenda answers.

"Whoa... I did not ask for where or why. I don't want the details.", Tammy tells her.

"I was just saying.", Glenda tries to explain.

"If anything, I would ask why you would do that, especially at sixteen.", Tammy says.

"Because it happened and I allowed it to happen. And in a way at the time, I wanted to explore that part of me with him. It was like taking a fantasy and making it into reality. Don't you have such fantasies?", Glenda explains and then asks.

"I do. And I can see why you would. But I don't think I would have under those circumstances, I am protective of my virginity.", Tammy answers.

"You saying that you're better than me because you're a virgin and I'm not?", Glenda challenges her.

"No I'm not. I'm just saying it's not for me.", Tammy answers her.

"Well. It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.", Glenda tells her.

"Look. All I am saying...", Tammy begins, but runs into not being able to finish her words, "I don't know what I am saying anymore."

"I'm saying that if you want this guy, whether for a serious relationship or even marriage, you are going to need to bring your best game and put out if he is worth it as you say he is.", Glenda tells her.

"Its hard to do that when we're over three-thousand miles apart.", Tammy replies.

"Have you called him since you came here?", Glenda asks.

"Nobody knows I'm here. I just packed up and left without telling anyone.", Tammy answers.

"He's probably worried about you, and some other female vying for his attention.", Glenda tells her.

"Don't you think I know that?", Tammy asks, and continues, "Every night I torture myself in that decision before I go to sleep."

"Why don't you call him?", Glenda asks.

"I don't have his number and it's a private number.", Tammy answers.

"How about the others?", Glenda asks.

"Same thing.", Tammy answers.

"Then you better hope he's not doing some other female out there. You know guys are dogs.", Glenda tells her.

"Fernando is not a dog... as far as I know. He is a squirrel like us.", Tammy replies.

"Look. If he feels for you as you do for him, then he will wait for your return.", Glenda tries to reassure her but adds, "Thing is, are you willing to wait for him?"

"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.

"Simple. What if in searching for your sister, you find somebody over here?", Glenda answers in question, a question that forces Tammy to think. Eventually she tries to answer it.

"That is not going to happen. No way am I going to allow myself from falling in love with anyone else until I find my sister first. And any emotions I have for Fernando have to be put on hold until I finish finding my sister.", Tammy answers.

"Love, hope, warmth, joy. Things you would deny yourself from another to give you and you to give back in order to find your sister. I wish you the best if you think yourself so strong. But I know the flesh and heart are not strong and you will either find somebody in your life to fulfill those things or go crazy. I know I cant. That's why I ask for the time and being together with you.", Glenda explains.

"Since September of last year I have been looking for my family, and if it takes to September of this year to find her, then I will. What started out as something that I thought would have lasted a few weeks, has taken six months and might take the year. I know that there is a limit as to how long I should take, and I should have asked my friends for help, but right now those things do not matter. I just got to do what I have to do to find her. She is what matters to me because she is what I have of my family.", Tammy explains her feelings on the subject.

"You're leaving any time soon?", Glenda asks.

"Maybe Friday, depending on what I find.", Tammy answers.

Glenda just sighs.

"You feeling better?", Tammy asks.

"Until now, yeah, a bit better.", Glenda says.

"It's been over an hour.", Tammy holds back from complaining.

"I would need longer than that.", Glenda tells her.

"I need to take a nap before dinner and for you to leave.", Tammy tells her.

"But...", Glenda tries to interject.

"Glenda. I need my time and space. Can I have it, please?", Tammy says and asks.

"Alright.", Glenda agrees in defeat. She gets up out of the bed and walks out of the room.

"See you at dinner?", Tammy asks as Glenda walks to the door.

Glenda stops at the door, "Yeah." She then leaves the room and closes the door.

Tammy pats down and swipes across the bed sheets and blankets before crawling into position and grabs onto the pillow. She gets up slightly, taking the pillow and fluffs it out before putting it down on the bed again. Grabbing it, she buries half her face onto it and tries to go to sleep. It takes her another half hour before she does.

Thought not totally restful, she wakes up at a few minutes before 6o'clock, time for dinner. She does her usual routine of washing up her face before heading down stairs. Once downstairs, she finds the others had gotten there before her and had sat down. As Tammy takes her seat, Mrs. Marino puts down the serving trays with assorted meal options. There is one item catches her eye: a bowl of white fluffy stuff.

"What is that?", Tammy asks.

"Its, err... Mashed Potatoes.", Mrs. Marino answers.

"But Italians in Italy don't eat mashed potatoes.", Tammy comments.

"Oh we do. Not as much as you American do.", Mrs. Marino explains, and then puts down another serving bowl next to it, filled with macaroni and cheese. Lucinda puts down three bowls of fried chicken parts at the three serving areas. Marisa puts down bowls of steamed mixed vegetables.

"But this is an American meal.", Tammy says.

"Macaroni and cheese originated here before America made it its own, and fried chicken has been a world staple for millions of years.", Mrs. Marino explains, "Now eat up and enjoy the food."

Tammy just nods before serving herself.

The rest of the group begins to eat the meal as Mrs. Mario sits down to eat with them. Mr. Marino brings out a bottle of white wine for anyone who wants to drink from it. Most take soda instead.

The meal was delicious as it was filling. After dinner the girls stay behind to clean up the dining and kitchen areas, including the pots, pans, baking tray, bowls, cups, glasses, plates and eating utensils. They were not as talkative as before and clean up everything faster. In a couple of minutes Tammy is heading upstairs to her room.

Walking inside her room, she finds a light on her Netbook is no longer yellow but green. She takes the tiny laptop off its charger and takes it with her on the bed. She also takes the unit's manual with her. Looking about the unit, she finds a silver metal button on the left above the keyboard. Pressing it turns on the unit. It turns on to a Windows XP configuration screen, asking questions for Tammy to answer. Doing so gave her an account and password for using the machine. Giving her access to the XP Windows system, she checks and plays around with the various programs loaded on the machine. Turning on the wireless Internet access, she finds many Wifi access portals but all are password protected. She turns off the machine and puts it on the dresser.

She lays down on the bed and stares at the ceiling. She does not notice the passage of time as night falls upon the streets outside. At around 8o'clock there was a knock on the door.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16: She's a Rainbow.  
-

Tammy gets up to answer her door and finds Glenda wrapped up in her robe. She looks her over from head to toe before allowing her into the room.

"What's with the robe?", Tammy asks as the door closes.

"I could not let the others see in just my t-shirt and panties heading to your room.", Glenda answers.

"So you let them see you come in with the robe...", Tammy almost complains.

"Its not as bad as you think.", Glenda states, "Everyone's still down stairs studying and only Lucinda saw me enter the bathroom, not your room."

"So what are you doing in a bathrobe?", Tammy asks.

"This...", Glenda says before untying its belt, and let it open for Tammy to see. Underneath the robe was Glenda wearing a see-through bright yellow camisole set: panties, bra, short skirt and top. Tammy didn't whether to laugh, or yell at Glenda.

"You don't like?", Glenda asks.

"I don't know what to say?", Tammy asks.

"Then you like?", Glenda asks again.

"What is on your mind?!", Tammy holds back from yelling at her.

"I was just thinking that since this is our last night, maybe we could...", Glenda tries to explain but stops.

"Maybe we could what?", Tammy asks.

"Just sleep a little closer to you.", Glenda answers meekly.

"Is that the truth? Seems to me that you might be enticing me with sex.", Tammy asks.

"For you, it's the truth.", Glenda answers.

"For me...?", Tammy asks.

"I meant, it may look like I might be trying to entice you by showing you what I got, and that is what this is for and I have used it as such with past lovers, but not for you. I want to be as close to you as possible without being naked since I doubt you would want that.", Glenda ask then puts her hand to her temple and winces.

"You OK?", Tammy asks.

"I'm sorry Tammy.", Glenda says.

"Sorry for what?", Tammy asks.

"I inadvertently upped my stress levels by accident.", Glenda says as she sits down on the end of the bed. She sits there looking at the floor.

"You know I can see your nipples, your hoochie and your pad through what you're wearing.", Tammy tells her.

"I know.", Glenda replies, "Its not its intention. I just wanted the thinnest possible thing to wear when I'm against you tonight."

"Can I ask a question?", Tammy asks.

"You can.", Glenda answers.

"Are you in love with me?", Tammy asks.

"I might be.", Glenda answers.

"You know I'm not returning it.", Tammy says to her.

"I know.", Glenda replies, "I don't mind. What little you do give means a lot to me."

Tammy walks about the tiny space of the room, and then takes a look out the window. As she looks out, she thinks. She starts to unbutton her blouse and let it fall to the floor. Her pants were next as she steps out of them. Turning around she sees that Glenda has not moved from her spot, still looking at the ground from where she sat. She adjusts her t-shirt and panties' waistband.

Though it was three short steps to the bed, it seemed like an eternity. She gets on the bed and crawls to Glenda. Glenda turns around and was about to say something, but Tammy puts her extended index finger to her lips and shushes her. Glenda nods slightly, and then goes to behind Glenda and sits behind her against the wall. She taps Glenda on her back and signals for her to get closer. She opens her legs to allow Glenda sit up against her. Glenda sits and leans back against Tammy.

"Thank you.", Glenda whispers to Tammy.

"Shhhh...", Tammy shushes her again.

For the rest of the hour they sit holding each other in silence.

Eventually Tammy gives Glenda a slight shove. Glenda turns around to see what was going on.

"Huh?", Glenda replies to the shove as she turns to face Tammy.

"Time to go to sleep.", Tammy tells her.

"Alright.", Glenda replies.

"I need you to move forward so I can get my legs back.", Tammy says to her.

"Oh. I'm sorry.", Glenda says before moving forward.

Tammy folds up her legs to her chest and then leans over to her side. She stretches her legs for a moment before crawling under the blankets. Glenda gets up and turns off the light before following her and crawls under the blanket as well. In moment they were both sleeping.

At 5:30AM Glenda wakes up and looks at Tammy still sleeping. She carefully gets up out of the bed and picks up her robe from the floor, putting it on. For a moment she looks about the room and then at Tammy who is still sleeping. She leans over to her and plants her lips against her for a second and slowly draws away from her.

"Thank you.", Glenda says in a whisper before leaving the room. She checks the hallway by cracking the door and listening to the hallway. She then opens the door and looks outside before heading out, closing the door to Tammy's room as silently as possible. She makes it to her room without being caught by anyone. She spends the next 90 minutes in her bed staring at the walls and ceiling until it was time to wash up and get dressed to go to school. Mrs. Marino was already starting breakfast for those going to school in the morning.

Tammy wakes up three hours later and gets prepared for the day. After collecting her clothes to wash later, she gets a fresh set of underwear, t-shirt, shirt and jeans to put on later, putting on her robe before taking them, her towel and soap to the bathroom to shower up. Once dressed she goes to her room and drops off the robe, towel and soap before heading downstairs. Mrs. Marino was in the kitchen cleaning up, Marisa and Lucinda were in the living room studying.

"Where is everyone?", Tammy asks.

"Most of them are out taking their morning classes today, including Glenda. Those two have classes in the afternoon. You want anything to eat?", Mrs. Marino says then asks.

"Yes please. And thank you.", Tammy tells her.

"Think nothing of it.", Mrs. Marino replies, and adds, "Everyone had either eggs and sausage or French toast with sausage. Which one would you like?"

"I'll take the eggs and sausage.", Tammy answers.

"How would you like your eggs?", Mrs. Marino asks.

"Scrambled this time, please.", Tammy answers.

"Then it shall be.", Mrs. Marino says as she starts on Tammy's breakfast. Once she gets the scrambled eggs to the hot frying pan with a couple of sausages, Mrs. Marino asks, "So you leaving Friday?"

"Huh?", Tammy replies.

"Are you leaving Friday? Glenda told us that you might be leaving on Friday.", Mrs. Marino asks and explains.

"Oh. That. I'm not leaving permanently. I'm just checking a possible lead on an orphanage that might have had my sister. Then I'll be back.", Tammy answers.

"Oh. Then you better explain it to Glenda. She thinks you're not coming back.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

"I will.", Tammy replies.

In another minute Mrs. Marino puts a plate of breakfast on the table in front of the Tammy. "Eat up. You need your strength to find your family.", Mrs. Marino tells her, putting a glass of juice next to her, leaving the pitcher behind.

Tammy eats her breakfast, making plans for the day in her head. For now she will leave her electronics behind and continue as she did before with nothing. Once done with breakfast, she cleans her plate, glass and utensils, putting them away where they belong. The pitcher of juice gets put back in the refrigerator. She looks at the clock on the wall, which says 9:20AM. She thinks, knowing that the library opens at 10AM. By the time she walks there, it should be open.

Tammy goes upstairs and gets prepared in going to the library, deciding on traveling light with just a note pad and her carryall purse in her pocket. She goes downstairs and out the door, enjoying the walk she has to take, as there was still too much snow and ice on the streets to ride on her bicycle. She makes it to the library ten minutes after it opens.

She takes to her usual rented computer and accesses the Internet. The newspapers and tabloids have a story of a murder in a park in Rome, of a male mouse and his adopted daughter, a rabbit. Tammy reads over the story and sees that something was not making sense. The story was over 2 weeks old but its getting printed now also did not make sense. In her mind, how the couple fit reminds her of the earlier pictures of those other men at the Milan Arts Center with their girls.

She finds nothing else about Bink, the men or the other girls. Her email account at hotmail seemed empty. The email account at the Rescue Ranger server was filled with Spam from her so-called stepbrother. She lets out a sigh, wondering if he would ever give up. She does not know that a remote server is doing it automatically.

She prints out the article and puts it in her note pad. With little to do, she leaves the library and walks around the tourist and shopping districts. The only thing she buys is a couple of 4GB USB Drives. At a nearby café she buys a small lunch and eats it there. After lunch she walks by the expensive stores in tourist area.

More than half a block away there is a commotion that catches Tammy's ear, making her look around as to what it was. A rat runs in her direction with a small purse that he has just snatched. People around him get out of his way to let him run pass them and make his escape. Seeing the crime unfold, Tammy lets him get close enough for her to step out of his way but still have her leg out which he trips on. Landing face first on the cold sidewalk, the rat gets knocked out, making it east for Tammy to hold down and retrieve the stolen purse. A couple of rats in suits arrive to the scene, followed by a female squirrel in a business suit herself and the police. The local paparazzi record everything on their cameras.

"Thank you for stopping him and getting back my purse, I have never seen such bravery in my life! What is your name?", the female squirrel says and then asks.

"Its Tammy.", Tammy says as she returns the purse. "And yours?"

"Why, I'm Julietta Polancco.", the female squirrel says. Tammy could only stare at her. The men in the suits help her up, getting her notepad for her while the police gather the rat to arrest. "You have to be rewarded for your bravery and recovering my purse...", Julietta tells her.

"Uhm... no. A rescuer never asks for a reward...", Tammy says before stepping into the crowd and running away as fast as she could.

As she runs, Julietta tells her bodyguards, "You assholes fucked up big time. Now you two are going to find her and bring her to me before this week ends."

Tammy makes the mistake of running straight for home once she was out of the tourist area but she was not followed except by a series of security cams along the way. Once in her room, she locks herself in. Unfortunately for her the 4o'clock news would have her on TV for her heroics.

"Her Italian was awful, she had to have been a tourist, an American Tourist. Those bastards are always looking for some action.", one witness says.

"Who ever she was, she was either brave or stupid.", another witness says.

"Now lets roll back on the video tape from the security cam.", the reporter says, "There, she comes into view and as the crowd steps away to not get involved, she looks around and sees what's going on, and there. When the would-be-thief comes into view, she sticks her leg out and trips him. And there, she pounces on him and holds him down while getting back the stolen purse. Now going over paparazzi cam, there we have a close up of this hero before she runs away. Now why she ran away, who knows? Maybe she's a wanted criminal? A fugitive? Or maybe she's hiding from her job or family? Who knows, right? But this station is willing to give ten-thousand euros to anyone who knows who she is and is able to bring her to our studios." Tammy's face remains on the screen before fading to a commercial.

It is not for another half hour before there was a knock on her door. At first she does not want to answer but she opens the door anyway. Mrs. Marino was there holding onto a set of keys.

"It is good that you opened the door. I was about to let myself in.", Mrs. Marino says as she steps into the room. "Now what is this I heard on the news about you stopping purse snatching in the tourist district?"

"That's just it. I saw it happen and I tried to stop it. And in that I was successful in doing. That all.", Tammy explains.

"You know who's purse you returned?", Mrs. Marino asks.

"No, who?", Tammy asks though she already knows who it was.

"The actress Julietta Polancco. Part of the billionaire Polancco clan, she has her own TV Show and studio", Mrs. Marino explains.

"Yeah, I figured.", Tammy says to herself.

"You know the news station has put out a ten-thousand euro reward so they can interview you. Now I'm not saying that anyone here is going to collect, but you need to lay low for a while. No going out for at least a week.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

"But I have to go to the orphanage tomorrow.", Tammy complains.

"You are going to delay that trip until next week when everyone's forgotten about you.", Mrs. Marino tells her then adds, "You don't want half of Milan chasing you down the street for a stupid reward. And it's not even by the police, but by a stupid news agency wanting an interview with you."

Tammy just sighs.

"You are not to leave this house for one week for your own safety. When people see and hear reward money, they become crazy and do stupid things to get that reward, including hurt you and kill you to get the reward.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

"Alright. I'll stay.", Tammy says to agree with her though frustrated in saying so.

"Good. Now do what you got to do here. I will serve dinner at the usual time.", Mrs. Marino says to her before getting up and leaving the room. Tammy could do nothing, as there was nothing to do with nothing she had.

Tammy's little rescue of Julietta Polancco's personal items did not go unnoticed. Far away in a private home overhanging on a cliff, Johan Polancco watches the news feed on his 96in TV screen, replaying the scene over and over again. In Rome a group of men and women watches the news video as well. They all scoff at the ten thousand euros reward for an interview with one of them saying, "If she was really someone of interest, a reward of one hundred thousand euros would get better results."

But in her room there was nothing for her to do. Without Internet access, she could not continue her search for Bink. All she can do is lay on her bed and stare at the ceiling for the next two hours.

A knock on the door wakes her from her trance. She gets up off the bed and opens the door. Mrs. Marino was at the door.

"Dinner will be served in half an hour.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

"But why are you tell me when dinner will be served. You never tell me, we ate when it was ready.", Tammy replies.

"Dinner will be served at 5:30 instead of 6o'clock. I'm just informing you of this change.

"5:30? Alright then. I'll be there.", Tammy says, after a pause, "Thank you."

Mrs. Marino nods before realizing she had something to say, "I have spoken with the others. They will not bother you about what happened or call the TV News and turn you in. I will not have such embarrassment brought into my house."

"Thank you Mrs. Marino.", Tammy replies.

"I will see you downstairs for dinner in half an hour.", Mrs. Marino tells her before walking away.

Tammy lets the door close as she walks back in her room and looks out the window. After a moment she goes out and leaves the room and head for dinner.

Mrs. Marino just started to set the table as Tammy enters the dining area. The others seeing Tammy go into the dining area go in after her. They look around seeing the table not ready, the girls except for Tammy head out and help Mrs. Marino set up. With their help the dining table is set up quickly. Dinner is served just as quickly.

Lasagna with steam vegetables and salad is served as the meal, with the usual beverages are served with the meal. It was so good that there were no leftovers as in the in some past meals. At the end of the meal the girls stay behind to clean up, but when the table was cleaned and most of the dishes were put away Mrs. Marino tells the girls to let Tammy finish the rest of the clean up. They were sent to their rooms.

Tammy was putting away lasagna pan when Mrs. Marino arrives at the doorway to watch Tammy finish her job. As she gets up from closing a lower cabinet, she looks at Mrs. Marino.

"Sit down Tammy.", Mrs. Marino tells her before walking in. Two tall hefty built rats in suits follow her in and block the doorway. "Now Tammy. No one here turned you in.", Mrs. Marino tells her as a female squirrel in a business suit walks in. Tammy immediately recognizes her as Julietta Polancco.

"No. You turned your self in by passing by so many business security camera, we were able to trace you to here.", Julietta explains. Tammy could not say a word, just start to breathe heavy. "Now clam yourself down, sister. I'm not here for Johan's credit card. As far as I care, he accidentally gave to some cheap whore.", Julietta continues.

"Then why are you here?", Tammy asks.

"Simple. You did a job these two idiots could not do. I just want to know how and why.", Julietta explains.

"I was doing what I do best.", Tammy tells her.

"Like you're a damn professional body guard.", Julietta scoffs at her.

"Look. I stopped a purse-snatcher by tripping him and kneeled on him until help arrived. I do not want a reward or award or a bobby prize. I just want to be left alone.", Tammy tells her.

"Alone to find your sister.", Julietta tells her. She continues, "Yes, Tammy Squirrel Polancco, or so says the records here in Italy thanks to your mother marrying our father. But you decided to stay in America to be a Rescue Ranger as Tammy Squirrel. That's how you managed to subdue a running thief. You are a rainbow, coming at the end of the storm and tell us things are going to be fine."

"You're a Polancco?", Mrs. Marino asks.

"She is a Polancco without the money.", Julietta starts her answer, "However there are a series of insurance checks for her in the hundreds of millions she has not received yet."

"I told Johan I do not care for the money, I want my sister Bink back!", Tammy holds back from yelling.

"I will tell you that Bink is no longer here in Milan. She was here. She went through a series of hospitals and orphanages where she attempted suicide several times and then disappeared. You could go to the hospitals and orphanages to try to find her, but I doubt you will.", Julietta explains.

"I will find Bink if it means that I have to turn Italy on its boot.", Tammy tells her.

"Well, it does look hopeless.", Julietta tells her, then takes a folder out and puts several pages in front of Tammy, "But that is not why I'm here. Now you said you don't want a reward or an award, but I do need you to sign some papers for the courts, saying that you took action as seen on the video tape to stop a crime in progress." She then puts a fancy pen next to the papers, "Sign on the dotted line at the bottom of each page."

"I'm not signing anything. How do I know I'm not signing away in my rights to money owed to me? You want me in court, you find me, give me a subpoena the day before the appearance and I will be there to testify. Until then, I will be searching for my sister because you idiots would not take her in when she was presented to you all! If you did then my search for her would have been easy!", Tammy tells her loudly and pushes the papers and pens at her. She gets up from her seat and walks around the table.

"Tammy, sit down.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

"No disrespect to you, Mrs. Marino but it is these people who deliberately decided not to take in my sister, their sister by marriage and now I have to look for her. They have not helped me in any way and keep throwing up roadblocks. It is because of them I am here. It could have taken one phone and I would have come for her but they did not do that, Mrs. Marino. They are the reason why my sister, a little girl of 10 years old is lost in Italy. So if you don't mind, or do, I'm going to my room.", Tammy tells them.

She walks to the doorway where the two rat bodyguards step in to block it. Tammy looks at them both before turning to Julietta.

"Tell these idiots to get out of my way.", Tammy tells her.

"Why should I?", Julietta taunts at her.

Without saying a word, Tammy turns around and stomp on both their foot and then knee them in the groin one after another before stepping over them and out the dining room. All Julietta could do was stare at what happened.

Tammy makes it to her room in about a minute. She props up the room's chair against the doorknob and turn off the lights. After more than a minute of knocking, it stops and a folded paper slipped under the door. After taking off her clothes, she finds it difficult to sleep with all the turmoil in her brain. Even though she does, it was not a restful sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17: Video Killed the Radio Star.  
-

Tammy wakes up late at 11AM. She felt tired and restless as she slowly sat up on the bed. Waking up, she finds the clock on the dresser and finds out how late it is. She collects her personal items to go to the bathroom to shower and freshen up. It only takes 10 minutes for her to do this, coming back into her room to get dressed in her Rescue Rangers uniform. Stepping out into the hall, she does not notice how quiet the house is.

Going down stairs she finds the place empty except for when she walks into the dining room. Julietta Polancco was sitting at the table's far end, making it difficult to see her unless someone stepped fully into the room. In seeing her, Tammy freezes in place for a moment.

"What are you afraid off? It looks like you seen a ghost.", Julietta tells her.

"Where's everyone?", Tammy almost demands.

"I believe the college students are in classes right now. But I do know Mr. and Mrs. Marino are out shopping; my guards took them to where I usually shop out by the farmer's markets outside of the city.", Julietta answers her.

"So...", Tammy started to say.

"We're both alone, if you want to know.", Julietta finishes for her.

"So what do you want with me?", Tammy asks sternly.

"Nothing, and everything.", Julietta answers just as sternly. She continues, "First, I just need to know, do you have Johan's credit card? Its not that I want to retrieve it, I still think he gave it away to some skank hoe. But his mind needs to be put at ease. And as the family's finance manager, I have to know what happened to that card."

"And if I have it?", Tammy asks.

"I would not care. No way you are going to empty the family account unless you decide to fund the Italy/Sicilian bridge project with it. ",Julietta tells her.

"I don't have it. I do have a couple of credit cards my mother gave to me that might be tied to the family account but I don't know.", Tammy tells her.

"When did she gave you those cards?", Julietta asks.

"A month after she married your father.", Tammy answers.

"Can I see those cards?", Julietta asks.

Tammy leaves the dining room and heads to her room where she gets her credit cards. She takes Johan's card and puts it in her inside jacket pocket. She returns to the dining area and dumps all her four cards in front of Julietta. Julietta looks them over, tossing out the two student credit cards then she examines the two high-end cards given to Tammy by her mother. They both have her name on it: Tammy Squirrel. Julietta then pulls out a tiny QXO laptop, slightly bigger than her smartphone and types in both credit card numbers.

"Hmmm... ",Julietta hums to herself.

"What?", Tammy asks.

"These cards are connected to the family account. ",Julietta tells her.

"And?", Tammy asks.

"That's it, we do not use Visa or MasterCard.", Julietta tells her.

"In America that is all that is used.", Tammy replies.

"And you have not used them at all.", Julietta throws back at her.

"Mom said they are for emergencies only. And she said that I would have to pay back what I spend on it.", Tammy tells her.

"The family account makes more money on interest alone a day than what you could ever spend from it, even if you spend them on looking for yo... our sister.", Julietta tells her. "You could buy this house from the Marinos and not put a dent on it."

"So... Do I have to pay back what I spend from them?", Tammy asks.

Julietta holds back from laughing, "No. Not ever. If you took twenty-thousand euros, the interest on what the accounts makes it more than double, triple that a day. It would pay itself in a day before you ever could in 10 years."

"I see.", Tammy says. She reaches into her inside jacket pocket and puts Johan's credit card in front of her. Julietta just looks at it.

"It's a little late to give this back.", Julietta tells her.

"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.

"The card is frozen until it is found.", Julietta explains, then she goes back to her tiny laptop. She types on it for a while entering and accessing the data to the account. Then she looks at Tammy, "Like I said. I would have preferred if some street hoe he picked up had it. Why did you not return it when he told you to return it?"

"That bastard took me out on a date to get better acquainted, or so he said. I did not expect him to try to rape me. And before that he went on and on about how I'm a sister in the family and he would welcome me to the family by giving me the credit card, saying that it's for me. Then when he failed to rape me he threw me out and he shot at me.", Tammy explains, "That motherfucker tried to take my life. For what? Because I would not drop my panties for him? He can go to hell and burn as far as I care."

"I will believe it only because he's done that shit before with others before. Hold on.", Julietta takes the credit card and types on the tiny laptop. "That bastard."

"What?", Tammy asks.

"According to this, he transferred all rights of the card to you, Tammy Squirrel Polancco. Then he transferred all the rights back to him before I froze it. I can't let him have that. ", Julietta as she types on the tiny keyboard. "There."

"Again, what?", Tammy asks.

"I transferred all rights of the card back to you under the name he registered it too: Tammy Squirrel Polancco. And he would not be able to change it without seeing me first. What a bastard. He has not changed one bit.", Julietta complains. She slides back the card to Tammy, "Don't use it for another 24 hours, and if you use it on an ATM, it will request for new passcode. If you are going to spend on it, spend well. Don't be buying cheap stuff with it. Only buy high end and top of the line name brand items."

"Anything else?", Tammy asks.

"Yes. If you are going to the hospital and orphanages, dress like a professional like me. Those rags, even though they say you are a professional rescuer, also says you have nothing to back you up. Come in looking like you are there for business, they will treat you with a proper business attitude because it also says you have lawyers to back you up. And no one in Italy wants to be taken to court by a Polancco.", Julietta tells her.

"Anything else?", Tammy asks.

"You have a business suit to conduct business in?", Julietta asks.

"Nothing like yours.", Tammy answers.

"Alright. We will get you one. And a make over too.", Julietta tells her.

"Wait a minute!", Tammy says a loud.

"Look at you. You would be a street urchin right now if you do have the Polancco name backing you up. You look awful, rundown, ragged, your breasts are hanging low and you smell like you're in heat.", Julietta tells her.

"I am in heat. I'm not your species of squirrel but my cycle is right around this time, thank god it's at the end of it.", Tammy tells her.

"Go upstairs, take a very long shower and put on your best as if you are going to kick ass at a job interview. And don't put on an LBD, you're a businesswoman, not a party girl. And raise your bra straps up to bring up your breasts, that shows confidence in your body language when you are up straight and not handing low all over the place. It will also keep you firmer longer.", Julietta tells her. "I'll be down here waiting for you to return."

Tammy could only sigh before leaving the room.

Julietta gets up and looks around the living room, listening intently to the activity upstairs. Once she hears Tammy go into the bathroom, she goes upstairs to look around the place. She finds Tammy's room open at the end of the hall and goes inside. Without touching anything, she looks around, eyeing each item in the room. The folding electric bicycle caught her attention for a moment, as did the tiny netbook laptop. The squirrel doll with the hand made jacket on the dresser similar to Tammy's Rescue Ranger jacket on the bed. At least the cheap digital watch was a name brand everyone knows: Casio. What also catches her eye it the lone hairbrush on the dresser as well as the lack of other items: no makeup, personal powder, hair spray, deodorant, perfume or other beauty products. She leaves the room and back to the dining room.

Listening intently downstairs, Julietta can hear Tammy leave the bathroom twenty minutes later and walk into her room. Tammy searches her backpack and looks for something to put on. In not having a business suit, she puts on the shirt and skirt she had on when she went to the see the ambassador weeks before. Putting on white ankle high socks and low pump shoes, she looks more like Ms. Polancco's assistant than a professional businesswoman by her definition. Feeling uncomfortable, she walks down stairs to the dining area taking her coat inside her arm. Julietta looks at her as she walks in.

"That's your best?", Julietta asks.

"That's all I have.", Tammy answers as she puts her coat on the table.

"Why?" Julietta asks.

"Why, what?", Tammy asks.

"Why is that the only good thing you have to wear?", Julietta asks.

"I only expected to be here for a couple of weeks to find my sister. I did not expect to be here for over six months. I just bought this coat recently for the winter.", Tammy tells her.

"Alright. We'll get you a few more things.", Julietta tells her.

"I can't have too much stuff. I need to carry everything in my backpack.", Tammy tells her.

"Give me a few weeks, and we'll see about you and that backpack. If all goes well, you should be going home with Bink by then in first class air travel.", Julietta explains, "But first, lets go." She gets up and walks out of the dining room. Tammy follows her out the house as she puts on her coat.

Julietta walks to a tiny two-seater car; Tammy reads the nametags on the fender 'Mercedes Kompressor.' With the press of the button on a key the doors open. Julietta gets in the driver's side, opening the passenger door wider for Tammy to get in. After Tammy gets in, Julietta drives the vehicle away out of the neighborhood. They drive to a high-end clothing store in an area of the tourist and shopping district Tammy has not been in. Together they go in, a middle-aged saleswoman approaches them.

"And who is this with you, Ms Polancco?", the saleswoman asks.

"Elisa, this is my step-sister Tammy Squirrel Polancco. Remember the woman my father married? Well, that is her oldest daughter, she came to visit from America.", Julietta explains.

"That would explain a lot of things.", Elisa says in an almost teasing tone.

"Get her hooked up, perhaps with Armani and Hugo Boss business suits, some silk shirts, a couple of nice ties, and some smooth things underneath.", Julietta tells her.

Elisa takes Tammy by the arm and literally hauls her away to a back private fitting room. Julietta takes a few minutes to look around, picking up a few boxes of shoes and plastic packages of nylon and silk underwear sets and packages of pantyhose before taking them to the fitting room. Tammy looks like in total discomfort and embarrassment as two women were taking measurements, pinning and marking the suit she had on. Julietta takes a seat in front of her.

"We got a grey suit, a dark blue suit and a black suit for her.", Elisa tells Julietta.

"Get her two more grey suits, one dark and one light.", Julietta almost orders. Elisa nods and goes away. The women taking the measurements take the suit off Tammy and take it to another room with the other suits. Watching her standing there in her underwear, Julietta complains, "Oh no. This won't do at all."

"What are you talking about now?", Tammy asks in distress.

"Look at what you got on. Cotton panties and bras are for little girls. At your age you should be wearing silks and nylons.", Julietta explains.

"I'm comfortable with what I got on.", Tammy tells her.

"And you have not tighten your bra straps to bring you up higher like I told you to do.", Julietta tells her, "Look. This is for your own good. You come into a business meeting slouching and hanging all over the place; no one is going to take you serious. You come in straight and held up high, no one is going to question your authority. It's all about confidence. If you look confident, no one will question what you have to say and everyone will want to serve you properly."

"But...", Tammy starts to say.

"But what?", Julietta interrupts her.

"You know. My cycle.", Tammy tries to explain.

"We are all women here, we all go through it during our time of the seasons. So that's not an excuse. You need to be confident and assertive all times, never show weakness, even if you are so deep in heat that you just want to lay down with your legs open and get banged up your love hole by the closest male next t you. If people see weakness in you they will try to take advantage of you. You do not want that.", Julietta tells her.

Tammy could only sigh. By dropping her shoulders as she does, Julietta almost wanted to scream at her. Instead she takes a subtler but yet more painful approach.

"In the many times you may have went to the police, hospital or orphanage, you were brushed off and made to go away. Weren't you?", Julietta asks.

"How would you know what I'm going through?", Tammy asks.

"Because in seeing how you are tells me that you are a person I don't want to be bothered with, so I will pass you on to the next person to deal with you and tell them to get rid of you as fast as possible. What I am doing to you is to make you appear like someone who is confident and assertive and is there for business. And when they see you are there for business with that confident and assertive attitude, you will be served accordingly. You get what I am telling you?", Julietta tells her.

"Yes, but...", Tammy starts to say.

"But nothing. Now. If it is a man that you have to deal with, any man except if he is a man of the cloth, you are going to do things to distract him, have him follow you with his eyes, make his heart flutter and his tiny penis stiffen where he sits behind his desk. When he sit back and adjusts his tie, you got him. And how you do this is simple. Ask him a question of something you need. When he says no, then its time to put on the charm. Sit up straight and push out your chest to show him what you got. Then put your hands on your lap and pull up on your skirt a bit, and open your legs at the knees. Make sure he's looking at your crotch. When he is, slowly lift up one of your legs opening them a bit wider to make sure he as a good view of what you got, and then cross your legs above the knee. See his reaction. He is sweating? Did he adjust his tie? Or is he leaning over his desk looking at you? If you're in heat, you should not be wearing a pad and let him smell your scent. At this point you have his full attention and wanting for more, talk in a girly voice and ask the question he had said no too. I'll bet a day of slave labor to you that he will say yes.", Julietta tells her.

"What if it is a woman?", Tammy asks.

"Simple. You show her who is the Alpha in the room and show her that it's not her. You show her that you will go to her supervisor if she does not serve you correctly and get her fired. You are to be assertive, confident and confrontational to her and she will bow down to your requests and tell you thank you. You need to have her fear you. And when you smile, smile like a shark and show teeth.", Julietta explains. Then she gets up, walks over to Tammy and hands her one of the plastic underwear packages, one in white nylon. "Put those on.", she tells her.

It takes a few seconds for her to start open the package and takes off her bra at first. Her ankle sox came off by her feet. The panties took a bit more effort, as Tammy did not want to lose her pad. But Julietta hands her another thin pad from behind one of the counters and pushes a trashcan close to Tammy, pointing at it. Tammy peels the pad off her cotton panty and throws the pad in the trashcan. She then puts on the nylon panty half way up and places the adhesive side of the new pad against the panty crotch panel, positioning it before putting the panties up herself. The pantyhose came up next, putting it on a bit at a time and trying to get it smooth as it goes up her body. Julietta looks at her for a moment then gets up behind her and pulls the bra straps up to get her breasts up higher on her. She adjusts the strap buckles and the band to the higher position. She walks in front of Tammy and looks at her.

"Now that better.", Julietta tells her.

"It's a bit tight.", Tammy complains.

"Then let it be tight. A woman's beauty is never an easy thing. You will get used to it.", Julietta tells her. "Now sit here while I take care of you further."

Tammy could not guess what is next until Julietta comes at her with a large make up kit that folded up to a small box. She stays still as Julietta starts putting it on her face.

"Now, you have a pristine face. I bet you never put on any make up.", Julietta says as she puts on the make on her.

"Just a little lipstick.", Tammy says.

"Don't ever speak and don't move when somebody is putting on make up on you. You could cause them to mess up on your face. You don't want somebody to mess up on your face. Do you? Don't answer that except in your head.", Julietta tells her. It was all Tammy could do in order not to answer. A couple of more minutes and Julietta was finished and steps away. The other women were there with the suits already prepared and fitted to size. Julietta takes Tammy by the hand and helps her up.

Tammy walks to where she stood when measured for the suits. Julietta points to the light grey suit. One of the women gives Tammy a silk shirt to try on. She puts it on, followed by the light grey skirt, which is checked over for binding, proper folding and overall fit. One of the women walk up to her and puts a long thin sash under Tammy's collar and ties it into a knot, slowly sliding the knot to the top collar button of the shirt. As she steps away, another helps her with putting on the suit jacket and all walk away. Julietta walks up to Tammy with one of the boxes, which she opens and pulls out a pair of Christian Louboutin Shoes red-soled black low-heeled shoes. Tammy takes each shoe and puts them on one at a time. One of the women goes into the other room and pushes a full-length mirror on wheels in front of Tammy. Tammy could not believe the change she had under gone, not recognizing her own image in the mirror in front of her. If it were not for the uncertainty on her face, she would be intimidated by the image in the mirror.

"What do you think?", Julietta asks.

Tammy twists from side to side, examining the fit of the suit on her. Unseen by her is one of the women taking her clothes and folding them neatly, wrapping them in plastic and putting them in a brown paper wrapper. At the same time Julietta steps up to Tammy and get close enough to tap her on the shoulder. Tammy stops and turns to face her.

"What do you think?", Julietta asks for a second time.

"It's a little tight but its excellent!", Tammy answers

"Excellent?", Julietta asks.

"Wonderful? Almost perfect.", Tammy answer in uncertainty.

"Well. Knock down your enthusiasm a few notches. Now you have a choice, care to have them wrap the rest of the clothes and we get your hair done and then lunch or try on the rest of the of suits and maybe lunch after that?", Julietta says and asks.

"What's wrong with my hair?", Tammy asks,

"It needs to be washed and conditioned.", Julietta answers.

"I can do that at home, but how about lunch. I'm hungry. ", Tammy replies.

"Didn't you have breakfast?", Julietta asks.

"I was going to make breakfast when I found you in the dining room.", Tammy holds back from complaining.

"You should have said something.", Julietta tells her.

Tammy only sighs, "Maybe I should have, but I didn't."

"Alright.", as Julietta signals the women to wrap everything up, "Elisa. Put it all on my account along with the customary 12% service charges for everyone here. We'll be back to get them and the receipt."

"Thank you Ms Polancco.", Elisa replies.

"No, thank you. And I'll see you later.", Julietta says before taking Tammy by the arm and taking her out of the store. "Now, what would you like: Chinese, Indian, Japanese, South American, Tex/Mex, American Grill, McDonalds, Burger King, Kentucky Fried? Name it."

"Anything that serves breakfast would be good.", Tammy says.

"For you I will figure American Grill since it serves an American Breakfast style meals. ",Julietta tells her. She starts to walk in a seemingly random direction but she knows Milan better than most.

After walking a few blocks, Julietta opens the door to a rather fancy restaurant, when Tammy was thinking of a greasy spoon hole in the wall type diner. Julietta holds the door for Tammy to enter the place, and takes her to a booth near the back of the place. She then hands a menu to Tammy.

"What would you like?", Julietta asks.

"I'll take the cheese omelet with sausage and some juice. You?", Tammy answers and asks.

"I'll take a pastry with coffee.", Julietta answers. Soon the waiter arrives and Julietta orders their meal in Italian. Then she tries to start a conversation with Tammy.

"So. Johan tells me that you dropped out of college. Why?", Julietta asks.

"Isn't it obvious? I dropped out to find Bink.", Tammy answers sternly.

"I was just asking. Maybe I can pull some strings and get your degree here in Italy. What were you studying: Business Administration, Digital Media and Content Management, Investment and Finance...?" Julietta asks.

"Two year degree in Emergency Medicine and Rescue Response and leading into a Pre-Medical four year degree studies.", Tammy interrupts her to answer.

"Emergency Medicine and Rescue Response, you mean a chuck wagon driver?", Julietta asks.

"Yes, an ambulance driver and medical technician, which gives me a free scholarship to college and medical school. Now what's wrong with that?", Tammy explains.

"Nothing, if you want to be poor for the rest of your life paying off student loans. Unless you invent something to help the profession and medicine itself, you will never be rich working at a hospital or in private practice. But after you get your medical degree, call me about finance options to keep you from being in the poor house. At least you will be in an honest profession.", Julietta explains.

"An honest profession?", Tammy asks.

"Any profession that does not entangle itself with politics and public opinion, one where you do not have to work hard for your position and status in political office and have to chase votes every so often. From police officers to elected officials to members of the board of corporations and their high office positions to those in the media; we all try to sway public opinion for our selves and enforce it. Doctors, nurses, firefighters, lawyers and farmers are a few who do not need to sway opinion because of their services are required to serve the community.", Julietta explains.

"I see.", Tammy replies.

"I have an idea for you, and I would like to hear what you think.", Julietta says.

"What would that idea be?", Tammy asks.

"Its in two parts. One: There has never been a missing person report done on Bink. We go to the police and file a missing person's report on her. That will get them to take action. Two: I interview you on TV and radio for Bink's sake. The one thing the prime minister does not like is hearing that his agencies have not helped in such a case like this. It will lower his ratings and he will do anything to get them back up again which means turning up the heat on those agencies and that should bring her back to you.", Julietta tells her.

"I already have a missing person's report on Bink. But for the interview, when do we do this?", Tammy asks.

"We can do it after we eat and can have it up by the evening news. You agree to this?", Julietta answers and ask.

"I guess so.", Tammy answers.

"Don't say 'I guess so.' It shows weakness and indecision in your part. Now its either yes or no. Which one shall it be, do you agree with this?", Julietta tells her and then asks.

"If it has to be a definite choice then yes.", Tammy answers.

"Good. Finish up your meal. I have to go to the little girls room and freshen up.", Julietta says to her before she gets up and leaves. She heads to the bathroom and takes the furthest stall from the bathroom entrance after checking that the other stalls are empty. There she goes through the motions of actually using the facilities but just sits there. With her panties and pantyhose down past her knees, anyone checking from the lower part of the stall would think somebody is using the toilet She takes out her cellphone and makes a call to one of her associates.

"Hello Salvatore? Yes, could you get Studio Two ready for me immediately? I might have an interview that will make the make the Prime Minister look bad. I need it ready for this afternoon's news. You can get it done? Great. See you in about an hour if not sooner. Ciao!", Julietta talks on the phone. She shuts it off and puts it away. She gets up off the toilet and pulls up her panties and pantyhose, making sure that they are not wrinkled or shifted out of place. With her foot she pushes the flush handle to make it look like she did something when she didn't and steps out of the stall to wash her hands. In another minute she is walking back to the table.

"Alright, I have a studio arranged for the interview. Are you done?", Julietta says and asks.

"Yeah, I'm done.", Tammy answers.

"We just have to go get your clothes from the store and you put on the outer layers of your clothes you had on at the studio and you be your normal self for the camera and answer all the questions like you told me. We will practice this when we get there.", Julietta explains as she signals for the waiter and asks for the bill. The waiter pulls out his receipt book and finishes the bill, which he gives to Julietta. She hands him a fifty-euro bill and tells him to keep the change.

They leave together and head for the expensive clothing store to pick up Tammy's things. After getting into the car with the store bought items, they head to downtown Milan and the center of the city's business district. Soon they were entering the rear of building through its garage. After parking the vehicle in its private space, they head for elevator. Julietta puts in a key into a keyhole next to the floor number '12.' They get to the floor in a under a minute.

Several people were there to meet them, and take them to separate private dressing rooms. Tammy was given her clothes in the brown paper wrapper and changes into them in a private partition. A makeup crew comes in and does her make up and hair for the TV cameras. Another takes care of her suit and remaining items. After several minutes of unwanted attention to her face, she is taken to a studio space; on the door she can see its 'Studio 2.' Inside it was a couple of chairs with a table on a set with a camera and sound crew setting up their equipment. One of the crew walks up to Tammy and explains what he is doing as he puts up a radio microphone set on her, with the microphone on her shirt collar and the transmitter at the back on the hem of her skirt behind her tail. She is lead to the chair on the right. Julietta enters from another door and takes the chair on the left.

"This is a practice run. I need you to keep the answers short, we only have a half hour to deal with. But I also want you to show emotion. The computer will generate a few background pictures of Bink that we have from the family album your mother brought over here. Now sound check, say something Tammy.", Julietta explains.

"Like what?", Tammy asks.

"Got it!", somebody in the back of the A/V crew says out loud.

"Alright. Now lets start with this practice run. I'm going to introduce you, saying who you are as a Rescue Ranger from America, and related to my family when your mother married my father. And how you stopped the robbery of my possessions yesterday. Then I'll say something about the tragedy and lead to you with a question. When did you found out something was wrong?", Julietta explains and asks.

"Well, we would call each other every week to see how we are, and suddenly those calls from Italy stopped. I started calling and only got the answering machine for two weeks and then the number was disconnected after that. I sent letters but they were all returned. So I gathered some money together and arrived to Italy to go look for them. In coming here I found out that I was related to you and the rest of the Polancco clan and found out what happened to mom.", Tammy explains.

"That was excellent. Do not change it. Now, let me ask, what did you do to find out about Bink?", Julietta says and asks.

"After some researching, Bink was sent from hospital to hospital and then to an orphanage and back the hospital and to another orphanage. After that she was sent to another hospital and then disappears from there. Nobody knows where she is or where she was sent too. Even the IRAS could not find her.", Tammy answers.

"Excellent, especially the part of the International Rescue Association Society. Another question: Did you ask any Italian agencies to help in the search for our sister?", Julietta says and asks.

"Yes. After getting of the plane, the first place I went to was the police. Though they brought an English translator, all they did was waste my time. I filled out forms and was told to go home, but home is half way across the world in New York City. I asked the hospitals and I was told that she was never there though I have papers saying that she was sent there. And I'm afraid to go to the orphanages for the same reasons of being given the run around and being lied too. Its like they are covering something up.", Tammy answers.

"Perfect!", Julietta says, "But show a little more emotion. Last question, how long have you been in Italy looking for our sister?", Julietta asks.

"Over six months now. I thought it would take a couple of weeks to find her but I've been here since.", Tammy answers.

"Wow. Six months is a long time. I understand you had to drop out of school and put your life on hold during this search. Don't mention details of school, classes or majors, just your grades.", Julietta says.

"I had to miss out on my finals at school, but I got an A- on my midterms.", Tammy answers.

"So anybody knows you're here? Other family? Friends? Significant other?", Julietta asks.

"Nobody knows I'm here. I just got up and left. They probably think I disappeared." Tammy answers.

"Great! Now lets try to record this in one take. I will have a long introduction about you and show the TV audience out there that you are a professional rescue profession who cares about her community. When I'll introduce the situation and then you and start asking the same questions as before more or less in the same order. And then you answer them exactly as you just did. The tape will be taken to the editor's room and put together with the computer graphics and it will be on the air later on the evening news. Now I want you to not worry if this sounds too political, because this is the action of government agencies not doing their work and they need a wake up call to get their job done or else.", Julietta explains.

"Or else what?" Tammy asks.

"Or else they should be fired and be replaced with somebody who will do the job properly and not make excuses for not doing it. No one should be suffering through their actions like they have to you.", Julietta answers.

Tammy nods in agreement.

"Alright. Lets do this. Hiram!", Julietta says and then yells at the crew.

Somebody walks to the set with a clapboard, saying, "Taking Action in 3... 2... 1!", followed by the loud clap of a clapboard.

Julietta begins as a set of graphics from the photo album pictures are played through the video mixer, "This is Julietta Polancco for Taking Action. And I have a story for you to hear, know and take action. First, a little history, as you know, my father married almost two years ago to an American and they moved here, and eight months ago, they were slaughtered, in what we believe to be a political assassination because of his political beliefs. Through that marriage I gained a little stepsister who is also an American and this is her story. Since that time I did not know she has an older sister who stayed in America to live her life but stayed in contact with the family. When she lost contact with the family, she came here looking for them. Only a day ago did I discover that I have a second stepsister in search for our relative, from a criminal action against me that she stopped. You all have seen the news videos of her heroic act from the security cameras of stopping the thief and holding him until the police got there. And since she turned herself in to this TV Station, she collects the ten thousand euro reward. Everyone, this is Tammy Squirrel Polancco, who is a Rescue Ranger in America.", Julietta pauses for dramatic effect, then continues, "Tammy, When did you found out something was wrong?"

"Well, we would call each other every week to see how we are, and suddenly those calls from Italy stopped. I started calling and only got the answering machine for two weeks and then the number was disconnected after that. I sent letters but they were all returned. So I gathered some money together and arrived to Italy to go look for her. In coming here I found out that I was related to you and the rest of the Polancco clan and found out what happened to mom.", Tammy explains.

"What did you find out about Bink?", Julietta says and asks.

"After some researching, Bink was sent from hospital to hospital and then to an orphanage and back the hospital and to another orphanage. After that she was sent to another hospital and then disappears from there. Nobody knows where she is or where she was sent too. Even the IRAS could not find her.", Tammy answers.

"You asked the IRAS for help, did you ask any Italian agencies to help in the search for our sister?", Julietta says and asks.

"Yes. After getting of the plane, the first place I went to was the police. Though they brought an English translator, all they did was waste my time. I filled out forms and was told to go home, but home for me is half way across the world in New York City. I asked the hospitals and I was told that she was never there though I have papers saying that she was sent there. And I'm afraid to go to the orphanages for the same reasons of being given the run around and being lied too. Its like they are covering something up.", Tammy answers.

"New York City is a long way away. I hope you can found Milan to be a helpful and wonderful community. How long have you been in Italy looking for our sister?", Julietta asks.

"The people in Milan have been nice, but it's been over six months now. I thought it would take a couple of weeks to find her but I've been here ever since.", Tammy answers.

"Six months is a long time. I understand you had to drop out of school and put your life on hold during this search. How well were you doing in school?", Julietta says.

"I had to miss out on my finals at school to search for her, but I got an A- on my midterms.", Tammy answers.

"Anybody from New York City knows you're here? Other family? Friends? Significant other?", Julietta asks.

"Nobody knows I'm here. I just got up and left. They probably think I disappeared." Tammy answers.

"They probably do think that you have disappeared. There you have it, a story of a search for a missing little ten-year-old girl. A girl who I seen at our families' wedding as the flower girl, one who moved to Italy with her mother to live a new life with my father, one who has disappeared after a family tragedy. We are all looking for her. And to those people who have halted this search for this little girl, I hope you all get fired. Seriously. This is a search for a missing girl who disappeared at a hospital. Where was the administration? Where was security? Where were the doctors? Where were the police? They were all giving Tammy a hard time, covering something up. We Polancco's are filthy rich and insanely wealthy. Her hospital bill would have been nothing for us to pay. In fact we were planning on a several hundred million dollar expansion and upgrades at the hospital she disappeared from. We will be meeting on whether or not to continue on this project. We bear no ill thought or will against the people of Milan and of Italy. But mind you, this government down from the lowest police officer and lowly office clerk up to the prime minister himself owes us; they owe you the people of Italy and they owe my family for if it happened to us, it will happen to you. I want you all to hug and hold your children tonight and think, if the government is not willing to do its part in protecting our children when they are supposed too, then who will? This girl disappeared from a hospital. Your child might be next when they go to the hospital. This is Julietta Polancco for Taking Action."

The clapboard is clapped loudly and guy with the clapboard says, "That's a wrap!"

"That was great. No doubt our studio will be getting calls from the audience about Bink's disappearance soon after its aired. I'll send you what we get.", Julietta tells Tammy as she takes her hand and holds them, "Lets get you home."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18: Overload Of The Senses.  
-

They arrive at the Marinos' residence mid afternoon around 2:30PM, finding it empty. Tammy walks about the living room, the dining room, and into the kitchen the dining room is part off. She takes a glass from the cabinet and fills it with water, drinking it. Julietta was not far behind, taking a seat at the table. Tammy washes out and wipes down the glass before putting it back in the cabinet it came from.

"Go upstairs and change into the suit you had on.", Julietta tells her.

"Why?", Tammy asks.

"I believe you wanted to go to see the orphanage.", Julietta answers, adding, "We are going to put theory into practice." She pulls out a pad from her tiny purse and writes a note, which she puts on the table folded like a little tent.

Tammy sighs, "Alright. I'll change in my room."

"I don't care of you change right here and now.", Julietta tells her sternly. Then her tone changes, "Look. In businesses there are many willing to make excuses to their shortcomings that affects company profit and stability. You need to just do and not make excuses. You are not an excuse. Don't be one. I'm sure as a Rescue Ranger, there is a no excuses attitude when it comes to rescues, or else somebody is going to get hurt or worse. Right?"

"You're right. People will get hurt if shortcuts are taken and excuses used to cover them up. It would effect the rangers as a whole.", Tammy replies.

"The same applies to you.", Julietta responds, "Everything I told you, you must be able to do it. You must sell yourself to be a serious, no bullshit-taking, businesswoman. As they say, if you are going to be a whore, be the prettiest whore out there. In that statement you have to think why the whores in the streets who don't take care of themselves, allow themselves to fall apart, get very little in return. But the call girls in the expensive hotels who take care of themselves, look better than good and can get two thousand to five thousand euros or more a date, and they have the option of not having sex because they are in charge in order to be paid and can have up to three dates a night. You need to be better than that. I can make fifty thousand with a ten second phone call."

Tammy bites on the inside of her check in order not to verbally respond. Then she nods and heads to her room, taking the shopping bag of suits and clothing up to her room. Once there she changes into the grey suit she had on before. She takes her time in order to get everything right. She goes downstairs and into the dining room.

"You got everything?", Julietta asks.

"All my paperwork is in the backpack up stairs.", Tammy answers.

"Are they in plastic sheets in binders to protect them?", Julietta asks.

"No...", Tammy answers.

Julietta sighs in this unpreparedness. Then she looks at Tammy, "We are going to cancel this appointment, and go out to get you ready to be ready at all times. If we have time we might go. Now lets go." Julietta tells her.

"Where too?", Tammy asks.

"To get you ready.", Julietta sternly tells her as she walks out the dining area. Tammy follows her to her car and gets inside.

They drive around back to the shopping district and pull up to an office supply store. She gets Tammy a couple of thin binders, a box of self-laminating plastic sheets, a small paper cutter, plastic sheet protectors and a leather brief case.

"I cant carry everything in the backpack!", Tammy complains.

"Right now you need to be quiet and see what I am getting you so at home I will show you why.", Julietta tells her, then realizes that they should have brought the documents with them in order to be copied. "Are all your important documents copied or are you using originals?"

"I'm using originals.", Tammy answers.

"Alright. We'll go make copies later. Right now lets go.", Julietta says to her. She takes the items to the cashiers to be paid. They go back in the car and to Tammy's place. They walk into the dining area where Julietta puts the items on the table. "Bring all your documents here.", she tells her.

Tammy goes upstairs and brings her backpack to the dining room instead of searching for everything and bringing them down which would have taken time. She begins to pile the papers on the table.

"Give me the ones of importance first. Birth records, citizenship papers, identification, things like that." , Julietta tells her. Tammy hands over the copies of the birth certificates she has to her. "Are these the only copies of these you have?", Julietta asks.

"Yes.", Tammy could only answer in a word.

"Not a problem.", Julietta says as she puts each on in a sheet protector and into one of the binders, "This will be nothing but originals. The other will contain be copies of the documents. When you go places, you only bring the copies, not the originals. Papers have a way of disappearing so don't make yourself a victim to Identity theft. Now the other stuff like the missing persons report, and any documents from the hospital."

Tammy pulls out the missing persons report and folder the IRAS gives it to her, "All I got is this, it's the missing persons report and the hospital records from the IRAS."

Julietta opens the envelope and pours its contents on the table and looks over them before realizing what they contained. "Dear god, what have they done to her?", she asks as she looks at an X-ray held to the light.

"I said the same thing when I saw them.", Tammy tells her.

"She's a trpile amputee. One arm, both legs, no way she would be capable of suicide outside of thinking it.", Julietta says out loud to herself then turns to Tammy, "You intend of taking care of her for life? Maybe with this country's advanced prosthesis program she might have a chance, but it will be a challenge for her to adopt and accept. Maybe if you stayed in Italy, with the family's wealth we can do something for her."

"I'm taking her back to New York City. Money or not, I have many friends willing who can help out. One who is a genius who can build anything, including artificial arms and legs.", Tammy tells her sternly.

"I hope you realize this is a lifetime commitment. You won't be able to return to school or work for the rescue rangers ever again. And after you die or something happens to you, who will take care of her then?", Julietta explains and asks.

Julietta starts to return the papers from the IRAS back to its envelope and places it in the first binder. "We'll make copies of all of these. What's next?" Tammy pulls out her other papers and printed emails from various sources. Julietta looks at them, "Do you have copies of anything?"

"No. I don't think so. I only could print one of everything at the library.", Tammy explains.

"What else is next?", Julietta asks.

"Oh, nothing really.", Tammy answers as she picks up a short pile of papers and pats them down on their edges to straighten them out.

Julietta grabs the papers from her grasp and looks at them, finding them to be news articles from various sources. She pulls out the one of the family being pulled out from the house by the emergency crews.

"So they allowed photographers on the site. Of all the disrespectful shit I have ever seen...", Julietta starts to say in anger.

"That is where I found first proof of Bink and she's alive on that picture.", Tammy points out on the page.

Julietta looks at the page, seeing the little girl being whisked away on a gurney to a nearby ambulance. "You showed anyone this picture?", she asks.

"No. Not even Johan because he would tell me that it's a tabloid fake. It was not until the ambassador proved to him that my mother didn't killed your father with the police reports, that he did not want me to be around.", Tammy explains.

"And where is this police criminal report?", Julietta asks.

"I do not know. I did not get a copy of it.", Tammy answers.

"OK. While we make these copies at my office, you will call the ambassador to mail you that report to my lawyer's office. We will copy it and you will get them both. I will keep a copy for myself since it involves my father.", Julietta tells her.

"That's fair enough. If you want copies of anything I have here, you can copy them.", Tammy replies.

"Thank you.", Julietta says to her. She takes her cellphone and makes a call to one of her assistants. The call is answered on the second ring, "Hello, Rascilla. I need to go to my main office and get the police reports I have. Make three sets of copies, put away the originals where they belong and bring the copies to second office. I'll be there waiting." She then hangs up the phone. With all of the papers in the first binder inside sheet protectors and nothing in the second, Julietta gives the binders to Tammy. "Lets go to my office and make the copies.", as she takes the other supplies with her.

Tammy puts down the binders, picking her backpack as she got up, "I need to put this away first." Soon she was on her way to her room and puts the backpack away in her room. She finds Julietta with the binders in her arms in the living room. She takes her coat from the dining room and heads outside with Julietta. They both get into her car and drive away.

A few minutes later, they enter the basement garage of another office building down town and head to the 35th floor. A few people there greet Ms. Polancco, a couple of them walk up to her with clipboards for her to sign. She stops for a second to deal with business, and then heads to an office sized room but instead of a desk and chairs, there are copy machines and printers with an employee in an orange lab coat. The top half of the door was open, with the bottom half containing a small desk-like shelf on it.

"Raul. I need copies of every page in this binder. You can take them out of the sheet protectors and copy them, double sided and collated.", Julietta tells him. He nods and takes the binders with him to one of the machines. One page at a time was sent to the machine and both sides copied. The copies were done in less than five minutes; Raul gives back the binder with the originals back inside the sheet protectors, and the copies on top. Julietta takes the binders and copies to an office.

Julietta puts copies and binders on the office's desk. She separates them into piles, and finds that Raul made two copies instead of one. She pushes the second set of copies to Tammy.

"Here. You take the self-laminating sheet, have the holes on the left side, and peel them apart. Take the paper and have its front facing you and lay it flat on the bottom sheet carefully. Make sure there are no wrinkles. Then carefully line up the top sheet and place it flat on the bottom sheet. From the center, rub the plastic sheet outward. This will push the air bubbles and seal the plastic. When the sheet is sealed, put it in the binder and do the next one.", Julietta explains. Rascilla comes in with the copies of the police report and places them on the desk next to the others. Julietta gives her a nod before Rascilla Leaves.

Tammy follows her direction and figures out small problems in doing this, after half an hour this task is done and the binder is closed. Julietta takes the binder and holds it up at her.

"This binder with all the copies of paper work you take with you and show it to whom it needs to be shown too. This other binder with the originals you keep with your personal things. Now, what time is it?", Julietta explains and asks.

"Its about 5:30.", Tammy answers.

"You think you can do like I told you?", Julietta asks.

"I believe I can.", Tammy answers.

"No. Its not you believe you can. Its either Yes or No.", Julietta tells her.

Tammy closes her eyes and bows her head for a moment and then looks up at her, "Yes, I can do it."

"Good. Now where is this orphanage?", Julietta says and asks.

Tammy opens one of the binders, flips the pages to the second to last page, and points to it, "There."

"Its not far from your side of the university. Lets go drop off your original documents, and take the binder of copies with us.", Julietta says.

"Us?", Tammy asks.

"You think you are going to do this alone? You're not. She is part of my family as she is in yours though not by blood but by marriage. To some cultures like ours, that is a lot and can sway argument in courts if the papers are legitimate. Since it's known publicly that our respective parents married each other, and that connects us as family. Now, you ready to go?", Julietta explains.

Tammy nods before saying, "Lets go."

They gather the binders and the remaining laminates. At the car, Tammy sits down with all the items they worked on her lap. Once at her place, Tammy runs inside the house and puts everything on the bed to be put away later except the binder with the copies, which she takes with her. Tammy reads the printed entry for the orphanage as Julietta drives her to there: The St. Mario School and Orphanage for Troubled Youth. It's an old name, dating back to before the black plague and one of the holding refuges where many survived during troubled times as Julietta explains. She parks the car not too far from the orphanage's entrance.

Together they walk in and stop by an information counter. Julietta finds a sign-in registrar and takes out her pen and signs it, dates and times its, under business she puts 'Bink Polancco.' She then gives the pen to Tammy and points to the book for her to sign. A short heavyset woman whose prime had left her many years ago waddles over to the information counter, needing to push a small step ladder for her to get on to be shoulders above the counter's top.

"How can I help you?", the old woman says.

Before Julietta could say anything, Tammy jumps ahead of her, "We are here to Executive Director Monsignor Christopher Mancini about a child."

"What is this child's name?", the old woman asks.

"That is between us and him.", Tammy answers.

"Without a name, he can't see you.", the old woman says.

Before Tammy can say a word, Julietta gives her a hidden kick to the base of her tail. She tries to hold in the yelp she almost let out.

"Polancco, the child's last name was Polancco. She was a squirrel like us.", Julietta tells her with a shark tooth smile.

The old woman seemed to be entranced by the smile, then says, "Your friend alright?"

"She's my stepsister. So was the child that was in this facility. Now, can we see the executive director?", Julietta says and then asks.

"I'll see if he's busy.", the old lady answers.

"Tell him depending the answers we get, this place can receive a healthy six-figure donation from the Polancco Trust Fund.", Julietta throws at her as she walks away.

The old woman sits at her desk and makes a call on her phone.

"Why did you kicked me?", Tammy complains.

"You were over stepping your boundaries and I had to put you in your place.", Julietta tells hers her, "Acting like you own the place would have gotten us kicked out."

"But you said when it's a woman, show her who the Alpha is.", Tammy rebuttles.

"That is if she's in charge. This is a lonely clerk and you need to tone down that attitude unless everything begins to fails.", Julietta explains. Tammy could only let out a sigh. "You need to take a course in business etiquette and learn what your limits in negotiating powers are.", Julietta throws in. Then she nudges Tammy as young adult male mouse in priest's clothing arrives.

"I am Executive Director Monsignor Christopher Mancini. How can I help you ladies?", he asks.

"Yes you can. We need to know where Bink Polancco was sent after her stay here and what was her condition when she was here.", Julietta explains.

"Alright, come with me.", Monsignor Mancini tells them as he opens the gate at the information desk. He walks past the old lady's desk, putting his hand on it and looks at her, "I need the file on the Polancco child immediately in my office, please." The old lady nods as he leads the young women to his office. He offers them a seat in front of his desk.

"Now. Before I can release any information, I need proof of relationship.", he tells them.

"I have everything right here, sir.", Tammy says as she hefts up the binder.

"Then bring it here and explain it to me.", he taps on his desk.

Tammy glances over to Julietta, who signals her to do as he says. She slowly gets up out of the chair and walks over to his desk, then opens the binder to the first couple of pages inside. She begins to explain, "This is Bink's birth certificate stating she was born in America. It states she has a sister from a previous birth."

"I see. And your proof?", Monsignor Mancini asks.

Tammy flips over the next page and shows her birth certificate and then removes her passport from her small purse, "I am Tammy Squirrel, and this birth certificate shows that we have the same mother, Rebecca Squirrel and born in America. And this passport proves who I am because I am not of Italian citizenry but American.", Tammy explains. The old woman enters and places a folder on the opposite end of the desk away from Tammy. The Monsignor places his hand on it and nods at the old woman.

"Alright. Now proves you and this Bink Squirrel are sisters by this woman Rebecca. Where's your proof of relations with Polancco?", he asks.

"OK.", Tammy pauses, then flips the pages of the binder around until she finds a wedding invitation of Ms. Rebecca Squirrel and Mr. Joseph Polancco. Then she turns to the next page showing notice of name change for Rebecca Squirrel to Rebecca Polancco and signed by Joseph Polancco and the county clerk of Milan. The next page shows the American request for a marriage license by Rebecca Squirrel and Joseph Polancco. Before she could say anything, he puts his hand on his chin.

"Hmmm...", the monsignor lets out. Then he looks at Julietta, "And who are you?"

"I am Julietta Polancco, daughter of Joseph Polancco.", Julietta answers.

"I know who you are, the trash talker of the Take Action Show. I'm sure the Lord is looking down at your indulgence.", Monsignor Mancini tells her, "You are not going to trash talk this little orphanage on your TV show."

"I am here giving what I have to help the stepsister I never known I had to find a little girl that is missing.", Julietta replies.

"Both the government and the orphanages the girl was in including this one approached one in your family to take the girl into the family and he refused.", he tells her sternly.

"That would be Johan Polancco, and he's an idiot. There were more members of the family to approach, and any of us, especially my sisters, would have taken her in. I would have taken her in.", Julietta tells him.

"And what about you?", Monsignor Mancini asks Tammy sternly.

"I was in American this whole time, only here for the wedding and then I went home. After months from not hearing from them and letters I sent being returned, I saved up my money and came here. I have been looking for my sister from my mother's womb ever since, only finding out recently what has happened to them.", Tammy tells him trying very hard to hold back her anger, and flips the laminated pages to a tabloid front page with their pictures on it with the headlines, 'SLAUGHTERED!'

Tammy continues, "In America we search for every living relative before throwing a child out into the cold to who knows where. We do not stop at just one. Why wasn't I alerted to this- months ago? My phone number was on the house phone's speed dial, and on mother's cellphone! There was no excuse for what happened!"

A tear drips on the plastic covered sheet from Tammy's cheek, catching Monsignor Mancini's attention. He looks at her for a moment, trembling in place and tears dripping onto the plastic sheets. Julietta gets up from her seat and tries to push Tammy way from the monsignor but Tammy pushed her back.

"Tammy?", Julietta asks.

"Tammy nothing. Everyone of power in this city has made sure that I would not be reunited with my sister. I find no excuse that nothing was done for her except push her to the next agency to do who knows what to her! And you are supposed to be a man of god? You just lost one of the lambs to the hungry lions!", Tammy almost yells at her.

The monsignor takes the folder on his desk and slides to his front, and opens it. Flipping through the pages, he stops towards the end and undo its hold down clasp. The pile of papers were removed and put to the side. Then he removes the last few remaining pages and holds it up to Tammy's face. Julietta takes them before Tammy realizes there's a picture of Bink in a wheelchair with prosthetic limbs and a patch over her right eye.

"The Social Work Agency took her, and you allowed it to happened? I'm not going to trash talk about you or your orphanage; I'm going to have the pope do it for us.", Julietta tells him.

"They're the one who took her. What they did with her I do not know, but they did say that they would restore her and take care of her.", Monsignor Mancini tells her.

She then closes and takes Tammy's binder off the desk, along with the folder and papers the monsignor has, stuffing the papers between its hard covers. "I'll be back, and when I do, all of Italy will know what happened here and the hospital. And when I'm through, you will be out of your job and if I can help it – out of the church as well. The children will be taken out of here and no one will come here ever again. And if we find Bink dead, you will soon be joining her. Got that!", Julietta tells him.

Before he could answer, she takes Tammy by the arm and has to haul her out the room. Together they storm out the room and eventually the building. They sit in the car in silence.

Julietta reaches over and opens the glove box, reaching inside and pull out several sheets of tissues, handing it to Tammy, "Wipe your tears. This outburst was not necessary but it was useful and profitable." Tammy does not answer. "Not answering?", Julietta asks, then she turns the key in the ignition. She puts the car into gear and slowly drives away.

In a couple of minutes, Julietta pulls up to the Marino's house. She turns off the engine.

"We're here.", Julietta says.

"I don't care.", Tammy says silently.

"What was that? I don't speak whisper.", Julietta asks.

"I said I don't care!", Tammy lets out.

"You better care. Bink is out there and you are going to find her, even if I have to help you!", Julietta tells her.

"They sold her. They fucking sold her like some freaking commodity!", Tammy lets out.

"More like gave her away like a wrapped gift. But where to or to whom?", Julietta asks.

"The hospital would have that information.", Tammy answers.

"Look. You get in there and eat some dinner and go to bed. Tomorrow we'll go the hospital and you will do what you have to do to get those papers. We'll meet in the afternoon and I'll give you these papers before we go.", Julietta says.

Tammy looks at the binder stuffed with the folder and other papers, and then nods before gathering her strength to recompose herself and gets out of the car.

Though it was after 6pm, dinner was already on its way. She can see the windows to the kitchen and dining room are on while many of the other lights of the house were off. If one were to study the activity of the home, they could figure out this evening meal pattern in less than a week.

Tammy gets into the house and starts to walk through the living room area to the stairs. The others in the dining room wanted to get up but Mrs. Marino gets their attention and shakes her head.

Once in her room, Tammy takes off her suit jacket, followed by the shoes, skirt, tie and shirt. Sitting on the bed, she takes off the smooth nylon underwear and puts on her cotton panties and bra. A t-shirt was next then a pair of jeans. The walk to the dining room seemed longer than it was but she stops half way to recompose herself. She lets out a sigh before taking the next step and then the rest of the way to the dining room.

Everyone stops as she steps through the doorway. She was about to get a plate for herself from cabinet but Mrs. Marino stops her.

"I'll get that dear. You sit down and choose what you like. We got a baked honey glazed ham, with a pasta vegetable salad or a shredded beef with gravy to go with the pasta.", Ms. Marino tells her as she gets the plate and utensils for her.

Mr. Marino puts a wine glass next to her and pours wine into it. "Drink up, there is plenty more.", he tells her. Mrs. Marino puts a plate down on the table and then slides the pasta bowl in front of her. She sits down as Tammy serves herself, taking a little of everything.

With the dining room too quiet, Tammy tries to make conversation, "So, how was the farmer's market?"

Everyone just looked at her for a moment. "It was... great.", Mrs. Marino starts to answer, "We came back with too much food, everything paid for by your sister."

"How much food?", Tammy asks.

"We don't have to buy anything except for bread and drinks for a month. The basement freezer is filled to the top and everything is fresh.", Mrs. Marino tells her.

"I see. Glad you enjoyed it.", Tammy says before pausing and then going back to her meal.

"Much of this food was made from today's purchase.", Mrs. Marino adds. Tammy just nods as she continues to eat.

Tammy finishes her meal before most of the others could though most were going for seconds. She was going to wash and put way her things when Mrs. Marino stops her again. She explains that she needs to take care of things before leaving the dining room.

Walking up the stairs Tammy tries to not pay attention to how emotionally drained she was. Once in her room, she gets on the bed and curls up into a fetal position. Things were quiet for another hour. She was awake the whole time to know.

The knock on the door bothers her to no end even though it as soft and quiet. She gets up to open the door and tell Glenda off to the point of crying. She opens the door and was about to yell at Glenda, finding Marisa there instead.

"What do you want?", Tammy asks holding back the urge of biting her head off. Marisa takes a step into the doorway but stops, as Tammy does not get out of the way. "Again, what do you want?", Tammy asks again.

Marisa turns her head to the side and signals for somebody to show them selves. Lucinda comes up and stands behind her and Glenda behind her. "May we come in?", Marisa asks.

Tammy lets out a pent up breath, as she steps out the way and walks deeper into her room. Glenda reaches over Lucinda and pushes Marisa to step into the room. "Hey!", Marisa complains. Lucinda steps in after her and Glenda right behind. Tammy takes the only chair in the room and sits on it. "What do you all want?", she asks.

"Well...", Glenda starts.

"Don't talk for them, Glenda. They can talk English and I'm semi fluent in Italian.", Tammy tells her, then switches to Marisa, "Why are you here with the others?"

"We saw you on TV today. On the news.", Marisa begins.

"And?", Tammy asks.

"We just want to know how can we help?", Marisa finishes.

Tammy thinks for a second before answering, "No."

"Why not?", they all as together.

"This is a dangerous game I'm playing and I do not want any of you to get hurt or worse.", Tammy explains.

"Or worse?", Lucinda asks.

"Worse: dead, missing, connected to a life support machine at a hospital and never waking up. I lived with you all long enough to know you better than friends though we do not speak much or ever went out. You are all almost family, since we live and eat together. And I want none of you hurt.", Tammy tells her.

"I can assure you, none of us would get hurt.", Lucinda throws at her.

"If you think that you can help, you better understand that somebody out there is killing Polanccos and anyone connected to them. When they killed the man my mother married, they killed nearly everybody in the house: the chauffer, the butlers, the maids, the chef, everyone. Only my little sister managed to survive. Then another murder of the Polanccos took out most of the boys and their girlfriends. If someone is killing Polanccos, then I am a target too. And when they come for me, they will kill who ever is with me, which means you too.", Tammy explains.

They sit there in silence for a moment. Glenda gets up, and takes Tammy's netbook laptop off the dresser, opens it, turns it on and plops it on Lucinda's lap.

"Put that back!", Tammy tells her.

"You want Internet access, we all agree that you need a larger unit, but Lucinda will connect you to the school's network on a group access account and installing some software you may need.", Glenda explains as Lucinda goes through the control panel and sets up the network options. She then plugs in a USB Flash drive to the laptop and moves her finger on the trackpad to install the software within the drive.

Tammy was not too happy at the sudden intrusion of her room and her computer, but in the end she would gain a few things she needs. In a couple of more minutes, Lucinda is finished, turning on the Firefox Web browser that she is installed before handing it over to Tammy.

"You got Microsoft Office Suite Student Edition with Publisher and PowerPoint; Firefox web browser because Internet Explorer is weak; an anti virus program and a few other things to help you out.", Lucinda explains. Tammy just looks at the netbook's screen and closes it, putting it on the dresser where it was.

"Fine. Now what else?", Tammy almost demands.

"You need help, and if we got it, you have it. You can not do this search alone. Most of us will be here for a couple of years, so you will know where to find us.", Marisa tells her.

In another city, in an open room office, in front of a computer monitor on a desk surrounded by several others, its speakers ends the audio out for all to hear, "...This girl disappeared from a hospital. Your child might be next when they go to the hospital. This is Julietta Polancco for Taking Action."

"Find out who this Tammy is. If she is part of the Polancco Crime Syndicate then she will be terminated with the others.", an elder grey mouse with glasses says looking at the others before walking away.

After he leaves, a female chipmunk in a tight dress suit replies, "Like the chief says, if she is part of the Polancco Crime Syndicate, we need to find out who she is, and what is her ties to our cyborg Bink."

"What if her story is true?", a female squirrel sitting at the computer desk asks.

"Then we may have a problem to deal with.", the female chipmunk answers.

"I don't like the way this sounds.", a mouse with glasses says.

"According to the records, the Polanccos abandoned her, that gives her to any orphanage, and anyone willing to deal with the child. We rebuilt her from a triple amputation and mutilation she underwent, along with other injuries and her suicidal depression she was not healing from. She is now one part of our fratello teams. We are not going to give her up to anyone, especially after they abandoned her.", the female chipmunk says.

"And if Tammy is from America as stated in the video? We can get trouble from the American embassy and the Prime Minister would not like that.", the female squirrel asks and explains.

"Like the chief says, if she is part of the Polancco Crime Syndicate, then we terminate her.", the female chipmunk says.

"And if she is not?", the mouse with glasses asks.

"I'll decide what is to be done with her. In the least she should be arrested for interfering with government operations and send her fluffy tail back to America.", the female squirrel says before she begins to walk away.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19: The Short Month Of February.  
-

Sleep was restless for Tammy, like it has been for the past several nights. The search at the hospital turns out to be empty, with release forms being signed, "Social Work Agency Worker" and a scribble that could not be made out into the name's component letters, as if it was deliberately done that way. There was no address listed other than "Roma, Italia."

With net access at 'home', she is able to do her searches longer, saving pages and printing them twice on the girls' printer as long as she replaces the ink cartridges. On the 'net there were several entries for the Social Work Agency, but the one that caught her eye was the medical division. If Bink's medical needs were to be taken cared off, it would be done there.

But she has to plan for her stay when she arrives in Rome. That means getting a new room and board in a new city, and knowledge of the city and its services. At least the American Embassy is there for her to go in when needed. Twenty-eight days went by fast with studying of the city, reserving services and making plans.

One of the problems she finds is the areas she searches is blurred on Google Maps. On the SWA Website, the front entrance is photographed from far away and blurred just a bit to remove details from it. But Tammy believes that she has enough to get what she needs: access to the place and to her sister Bink.

Julietta arrives every few days, most of the time with compiled data from the phone calls from her TV Station about information of Bink's last whereabouts. But once in a while she arrives to remove Tammy from the house when she has locked herself in her room for days. Its as if Tammy's search for Bink has become an obsession. And getting her out of her room can be a hassle at times. The only good thing for Tammy, and Glenda, is that her mating cycle ended a couple of weeks ago and is more able to focus on her search; perhaps that is the problem.

It takes longer than necessary to get Tammy ready and dressed to go out. It takes just as long to explain the new set of data and compare it with what she has, which for most of the time only verifies that which she already has and knows.

Tammy walks into her room half dressed in her bra, t-shirt, and panties as Julietta looks over the notes and gathered information in comparison of the two. Tammy goes through her backpack and takes her best shirt and skirt she wore before. Lastly she puts on her ankle sox and flat shoes.

"You going out like that?", Julietta asks.

"Why not? We're not meeting anyone today. You're just taking me out so I don't stay in my room all week.", Tammy answers.

"But you need to look as good as I am when we're out together.", Julietta tells her.

"Then wait down stairs so I can change.", Tammy tells her.

"Have it your way, but you better wear everything I gave you. Don't make me inspect what you are wearing like a military drill sergeant. You better be down in five minutes.", Julietta explains to her. She then gets up and walks out the room.

Tammy starts to take off her clothes in frustration, throwing them on the bed. She puts on everything except for the suit jacket, carrying it and her purse with down stairs. Julietta was waiting for her downstairs in the living room.

"You got everything on?", Julietta asks her.

"Yes. You want to check?", Tammy tells her.

"Don't tempt me.", Julietta tells her. She gets up out of the chair and signals Tammy to follow her. Together they leave the house and walk to a larger Mercedes 950SEL that was parked in front of the house.

"What's wrong with the little car?", Tammy asks.

"Its on the shop getting its oil and filters changed.", Julietta answers as she presses a button on the car's key and the doors unlock, "Get in the front."

Tammy gets into the front passenger door of the car as Julietta goes to the driver's side and gets in. The key goes into the ignition, and they drive away.

Tammy does not know where they are leaving, thus she asks when they get on the highway, "Where are we going?"

"Away from Milan for a while.", Julietta answers as she drives, heading north. In less than an hour they were on a mountain road. In a few minutes they were driving up to a large house at the end of the mountain road. It over hangs from the mountain from the backside where it is not seen from the front. Julietta pulls the car to the front of the house.

"Where are we?, Tammy asks.

"This is a private villa the family owns, just a mile from the Swiss border.", Julietta answers as she enters the house. A couple of staff members arrive to greet her, as she greets them and asks for a large lunch.

"I see. So why are we here?", Tammy asks.

"To get you out of your rut you got yourself into.", Julietta tells her as she leads her to a balcony on the back of the house on the main floor.

"What rut?", Tammy asks.

"The one where you lock yourself into your room all week long." Julietta tells her in an annoyed tone.

"I'm busy tracking Bink and I may have found her in Rome's SWA Medical Center.", Tammy tries to explain.

"I'm going to tell you, you are not going to get far with them.", Julietta tells her, opening the balcony door and stepping outside.

Tammy follows her onto the balcony and asks, "What makes you think that?"

"That medical center is a government secret that no one knows about. Children walk in there with various conditions and they do not come out. But yet there are government child assassins that look like these children out killing political dissidents like members of our family. Furthermore if it is a medical center, why is it not listed as one of Rome's health facility centers?", Julietta explains and asks.

"I don't know.", Tammy answers unsure herself.

"America has a few million conspiracies and people hunting the truth about them. Italy, is maybe the larger than one of the US's medium sized states, has much more government conspiracies than does the USA. One of them being the use of little girls in assassination squads, if it were not for Bink's condition of not having legs or an arm, I would think that is where the government has her, as one of their killer children squads.", Julietta explains.

"But, that would be despicable of them if they do that!", Tammy says.

"Never put a government to do things against its people even though they say that they are protecting them. That is what is going on here.", Julietta replies.

"And how does this involve Bink?", Tammy asks.

"Don't know. She is too much of an invalid for her to be worth anything to them, but I would not be surprise if they have her in some lab as a test rat for experiments.", Julietta answers.

"They better not...", Tammy says as she clenches her fists.

"Or else what?", Julietta asks.

"I don't know what I would do. I really don't.", Tammy relaxes in defeat.

A rat in a suit knocks on the side of the door's frame to get their attention. They both turn around to see him as he says, "Lunch is ready, madam."

"Thank you, Renaldo.", Julietta tells him, "We'll both be there in a couple of minutes."

"I'll alert the staff then.", Renaldo replies before walking away.

Julietta waits for a moment as she counts his footsteps, then she tells Tammy, "I'm afraid that we are targets to those little assassins. As you know our brothers were killed, except for Johan and Romeo. I'm pretty sure that they are next, along with us women." Julietta walks up to Tammy, Tammy backing up until she is up against the wall by the door. Julietta leans over to her and takes her by the neck and lower jaw, then plants her lips against Tammy, at the some time slips a USB Flash drive between the buttons of her blouse and her breasts. She pulls back away from her, "Sorry I had to do that to you but you'll understand why." Julietta then walks into the house.

Tammy leans against the wall. She reaches into her blouse and finds the USB Flash Drive. She nods as to now she realizes why Julietta did what she did. She lets out a sigh, putting the flash drive back between her breasts, making it more secure and comfortable for her before walking into the house. Listening for activity, she finds her way to the dining room there where was a long table with Julietta sitting at one of the ends. She points to the other end for Tammy to sit. Tammy nods and sits at the seat at the far end.

Renaldo walks up from behind Tammy and puts a laptop in front of her already opened and the screen on to several video feeds. In one was Julietta's kiss to Tammy from behind at a distance. Another was the side of the cliff she had seen from outside on the balcony, the bushes were rustling against the wind. A head pops up from the bushes, but it's drawn down into the leaves by a grabbing hand and another head pops up momentarily and back into the bush where the leaves rustle more violently. She looks up at Julietta who was examining a camera with a lens longer than the length from her elbow to her fingertips.

"Where you got that camera from?", Tammy asks.

"From the paparazzi on the video feed you just seen.", Julietta answers.

"How, why?", Tammy asks.

"How is simple; I am an actress even though I have my own TV Show and studio. I'm also a Polancco, so the paparazzi want to take pictures of me in compromising positions to sell them to the tabloids and the government. The government buys the pictures at a higher price than the tabloids so they get to pick and choose first. Why? This is private property, from here to the next five miles around and into Switzerland and he was trespassing. And the Swiss will protect their borders. Only we can cross the border because we own the land there.", Julietta explains.

"So where's the photographer?", Tammy asks.

"He's at the bottom of the ravine on the Swiss side. He'll be found dead in a few days when the border patrol comes to find him.", Julietta explains.

"You're joking, right?", Tammy asks.

"I don't joke. And with the safety of our family, such extremes are necessary to protect us. I must ask, would you like to be found dead and plastered on all the newspapers and tabloids? I do not, and that is why it has to be done. Even with the ant-paparazzi-stalking laws, the Italian government would not help out. The Swiss will and that photographer will be a tiny article in his own tabloids.", Julietta explains.

"Isn't that murder?", Tammy asks.

"Taking pictures of my activities and sending them to the government and me being found dead by mysterious circumstances, is murder. Me trying to prevent that from happening is self defense.", Julietta tells her.

"But...", Tammy wanted to say something.

"No buts. If the government had gotten those pictures, you would be a target and forget tying to find Bink, you would be running for your own life.", Julietta tells her.

"Why am I not believing this?", Tammy asks herself.

"I'm not forcing you to believe or not to believe. That is for you to decide. But I'm telling what is going on, our struggle against the government and its prime minister wanting to control all the country's media outlets. Things here are not like in America. We maybe rich but we are fighting for our lives. Now that USB Drive, watch it at home. But do not scream at what you see happening. It's from the security cameras of the house. I downloaded before the police could get it. It shows who did it, and it shows something interesting.", Julietta explains.

"What?", Tammy asks.

"Someone was in the house trying to save your mother. Don't know who he is, he wore an Italian EMT Jacket. It looks like he as shot as well, but I do not know if he made it out alive or not. I searched all of Italy's EMT bases and no one could identify him. Nor did I find him at a hospital to tend to his injuries. I doubt you will ever find out who it is. But one more thing.", Julietta answers.

"What?", Tammy asks, wiping a tear from her eye.

"We, at least I, know who it is who murdered the family. It's a family friend turned government informant. The drive also has the security video of the murder of our brothers was done by little girls with guns. Men in trench coats came in and surveyed the scene before calling the police. Since the police cooperated with them, it proves what I say and have known for a long time, that the government wants my family dead.", Julietta tells her. She then signals the staff to start the noon meal.

Salad is served with several breads and cheeses, as is slices of roast beef with a macaroni and cheese with vegetables, heavy on the fluffy scrambled eggs. Julietta makes a sandwich out of hers, Tammy just piles it on the plate and picks and chooses what to bite next. Wine was served with the meal, despite Tammy's objection, but she drinks it to wash down her meal. After their meal they walk back to the balcony again.

"Is anyone going to get killed again?", Tammy asks.

"If the Swiss border patrol finds another, but from the looks of it- no.", Julietta tells her.

"Why don't they pick up the body now?", Tammy asks.

"The Swiss knows that they are crossing into our property, and furthermore could cross the border into Italy. So they ask for our permission to climb down on our property to get the body. That takes a few days to do.", Julietta answers.

"You're joking, right?", Tammy asks.

"That is how it's done officially. But they will get the body out before nightfall and drag it to one of their facilities and then release the information of death to the tabloids days later. Look, he could have been a sniper trying to kill me, my staff, or even you. They have caught a few trying to set up a sniper's nest with loaded arms in the past. So, anyone who dare cross the border is fair game. I just own the land and allow their actions on my property because in protecting their homeland, it protects me as well. That is how it works.", Julietta explains.

"So...", Tammy begins to say.

"You want to be a target?", Julietta asks.

"No.", Tammy answers.

"It might be too late but you need to know that as a Polancco, things can be easy and hard at the same time. It depends on where you stand on our politics. As an American I do not expect you to understand but that's how things are in Italy. You just have to be aware of these things so you don't get caught up in them. In Italy, things are run with an iron fist and a knife in the other hand. If the iron fist does not control you, the knife in the other hand will be found in your gut. Right now that knife has been put into our family's gut, and we are sure to be next. Watch yourself out there, Tammy. Watch yourself. Bink will no longer be important when you have to run for your life. I'm not saying to give up your search for her, but when the shit hits the fan, you better be out of that room or in your case – you better be in America where it will be safe for you.", Julietta explains.

Tammy lets out a defeated sigh, "I see."

"Now if you came to the same conclusion as I have, your next stop is Rome. Is it not?", Julietta says and asks.

"It is.", Tammy answers.

"When are you leaving?", Julietta asks.

"I don't know yet. But soon.", Tammy answers.

"Let me know so I can safely fly you there myself in the family jet.", Julietta replies.

"Alright. I'll let you know.", Tammy responds, thought not wanting too and perhaps lying to protect herself and her future whereabouts.

Between the talking and the thinking, Tammy could not eat much. But the look from the staff and Julietta makes her take half the glass of wine. As soon as she places the glass down, it gets refilled. As with anything involving alcohol, Tammy gets the bravery to start eating again. Another half hour passes before the midday meal is finished.

With almost three glasses of wine in her belly, Tammy had started to feel the alcohol hitting her system half way into the second glass. Unlike most Eurpoeans who do have wine with their meals, they can handle the surge alcohol from a meal as Americans do not have that luxury and prefer sugary drinks to wine with food. Thus the alcohol hits Tammy harder than Julietta expected.

Tammy does not make it to the balcony, instead plopping herself onto one of the large sofas in the room.

"Cant handle a couple of drinks with your meal?", Julietta asks.

"I-ssh'm Fiiine...", Tammy tells her.

"Then you better take a nap and sleep it off.", Julietta tells her.

"No.", Tammy begins with a heavy breath, "I-ss want to geght those who have Bink and gize them a piece of my mind.", Tammy replies.

"Alright. You do that. But first you better rest up and get your strength back.", Julietta tells her.

"Alls-right. Ifs you says so.", Tammy answers. After taking a deep breath, she lays back against the seat. In a couple of minutes she is snoring.

"Look at that. A couple of drinks with her meal and she's passed out. My kids can drink more than she did.", Julietta tells her.

"She's probably a virgin.", one of her staff members says.

"Her sex life is not our business unless she makes it our business by involving us in it.", Julietta

"Shall I take her upstairs in one of the beds?", Renaldo asks.

"That should be unnecessary. She can sleep it off here. There are no guests coming over, right?", Julietta says and asks.

"I don't believe so, madam.", Renaldo answers.

"Good. Now no one disturbs her. Everyone to your post.", Julietta almost orders. The staff goes to their posts, doing their appointed tasks.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20: When in Rome...  
-

Tammy wakes up not sure where she was, feeling like she was ran over by a tractor hauling a double trailer and dragged a few hundred miles. She slowly sits up and pushes the blanket off her to her waist, finding herself in her underwear. She looks around finding to be in an unfamiliar bedroom, and yet her things from the Marino's home was there neatly piled up in a corner along with a new bag she did not have before.

She slowly gets up, putting her feet to the ground but still sitting on the bed. She finally gets up and walks to the dresser where the clothes she remembers wearing. There was a folded note on the pile, which she opens and reads.

"Tammy,

Sorry I had to drug you, but I had to up your game. You are currently in Trastevere, a neighborhood in Rome, in a small apartment we own and use when we want to be incognito with the rest of the crowd. It's yours to stay as long as you need in your search of our sister. Trastevere is a rich but tough neighborhood, so put up a tough act and tell anyone who asks that you are a Polancco. It's the only way you are going to survive.

The streets here are very thin, just one car can fit through them and there is no sidewalk. Cars won't be able to turn around if they chase you, but you wont be able to go past them either. The turns are sharp and sudden, and many end up into dead end streets. Learn the area before you go scouting for Bink. It may save your live knowing the area.

I checked through your things, since I did not find a driver's license, I am not leaving the tiny Mercedes for you to drive, there is a map the city and the keys to the place with your laptop in your backpack, the house has Wifi and a printer in the home office which you can print from. The duffle bag has the clothes I bought for you. Dress up for the area. Don't be a bum in this neighborhood. The better clothes you have in your bag will do for every hanging around. Do not wear the jeans and t-shirts in this area. I found some forty thousand euros in your backpack and put it into a bank account for you for safekeeping. There are three credit cards tied to the account and another ten thousand in cash I put in your purse. The account is tied to the family account so it does not go below what was put in no matter how much you withdraw from it. Do not be carrying so much money around like you did. If you got robbed, you would have lost everything. This is for your own safety.

I put the passport with the Polancco name in your purse; use it, and not your Squirrel passport. I put a photoshop a picture of us to help in identifying you, along with a few pieces of Italian ID including a student ID Card from Milan University. Thank Glenda for that. I might hire her for her photoshop skills. I got you a student shoulder bag to make things easier for you to carry your things while riding your bike.

There is food in the kitchen; I restocked everything while you slept. Go eat after you wash up and dress.

Don't waste your time rotting in the house. I have hidden security cameras in every room to check up on you and will be dropping by when I can. Go find Bink.

Love, your sister,

JP (Julietta Polancco)"

Tammy could only look at the clothes for the moment, not realizing the mirror in front of her. She picks up the clothes, seeing something move in front of her and realizes it's a mirror. She looks at it and at herself, looking like she had been through a very rough night. She looks at herself one more time before going back to the clothes and wishing the fog would dissipate from her senses and the two-ton anvil gets removed from her head. Memories of the recent past are flakey at best.

Within one of the suit jacket's pocket, she finds a usb drive which recalls a memory: Julietta walks up to Tammy, Tammy backing up until she is up against the wall by the door. Julietta leans over to her and takes her by the neck and lower jaw, then plants her lips against Tammy, at the some time slips a USB Flash drive between the buttons of her blouse and her breasts. She pulls back away from her, "Sorry I had to do that to you but you'll understand why." Julietta then walks into the house.

Then another: "...Now that USB Drive, watch it at home. But do not scream at what you see happening. It's from the security cameras of the house. I downloaded before the police could get it. It shows who did it, and it shows something interesting.", Julietta explains.

"What?", Tammy asks.

"Someone was in the house trying to save your mother. Don't know who it is, he wore an Italian EMT Jacket. It looks like he as shot as well, but I do not know if he made it out alive or not. I searched all of Italy's EMT bases and no one could identify him. Nor did I find him at a hospital to tend to his injuries. I doubt you will ever find out who it is. But one more thing.", Julietta answers.

"What?", Tammy asks, wiping a tear from her eye.

"We, at least I, know who it is who murdered the family. It's a family friend turned government informant. The drive also has the security video of the murder of our brothers; it was done by little girls with guns...", Julietta tells her.

Tammy looks at herself in the mirror and then at the usb drive. But she puts down the drive and sits back down on the bed. It takes a while for her to get up and leave the room in what little she had on.

The house was a small two-story house with three bedrooms on the second floor with a bathroom at each end of the hall. A stair at the end of the hall leads down stairs to a living room, kitchen, study area and another bathroom. In the basement was a furnished room with a washing machine and dryer, which she does not know about until later on. Tammy goes downstairs, finding the place empty. She eventually finds the kitchen.

The refrigerator is filled to the brim with assorted foods. The nearby counter top has covered breads in a basket. Looking around, she takes a bit of cold cuts and cheese, along with a bread roll and a can of soda to a nearby table. Finding a plate and a sharp knife, she cuts the bread open and stuffs it with the meat and cheese, taking a bite of it. The can of soda is opened and a bit its contents sipped. Though not a complete meal, she takes in what she could from it and feeling a bit better after eating.

Once back up stairs, she opens her bags to check on their contents, spilling them about and making a mess of the room as she did. She takes her favorite cotton underwear and puts them on along with a skirt and white blouse. She cleans up most of the mess, piling it into the bag while still looking for her brush. Sitting on her bed, she gives her hair one hundred strokes of the brush. A quick trip to the bathroom, she takes care of her personal hygiene. She then takes a map and her purse to the kitchen.

Back in the kitchen she looks around at what was at hand as far as cooking utensils and other items to eat a meal. She goes about to make a better and larger meal. With a couple of eggs and a few cut items, she makes an omelet for herself. Another can of soda and a smaller bread roll completes her meal.

With the sugar and caffeine boost from the sodas and the meals made her feel better, but not one hundred percent. She'll take the eighty-five percent she has. Taking out the map, she studies it, looking at the markings somebody has put on it, she believes it was Julietta who marked up the map. The house was labeled at the end of Via dei Riani in Trastevere neighborhood; at the end of a dead end street. There were a couple of food stores circled and the main streets marked off. Being a larger city, Rome has a couple of Tourist districts and several major shopping areas. She sees that she was not too far from a river that runs through the city, at least half a mile or a bit more in distance.

Counting her money in her purse, she finds more than the stated amount in the letter Julietta had left behind. There was the stated amount in large bills, but there was another grand in smaller bills. She takes the keys from the purse, looking them over. They look like they belong to expensive locks. As she looks at them, she builds up the courage to get up and leave the house.

Checking the locks with the keys, she steps out of the house, finding that the last step from the house lead directly to the street. It seems that the step was part of the thin sidewalk as it leads down the street, with fenced off areas in some places. She walks a few dozen yards to the corner, remembering the map she had before taking it. The first store listed on the map was a couple of blocks away, but she finds these blocks to be shorter then they were in Milan. Except for modern changes, the streets and blocks of Trastevere are as they were during the days of Caesar many hundreds of years ago.

Going inside the store, she walks about and picks out a few things to try out for herself: some cheeses, bread rolls, pasta, vegetables, and some fine cuts of beef. The storeowner at the cash register in never seeing her asks questions. The one thing about Trastevere is, those who live in it are very nosey of each other and question everything that seems out of place.

"Who you here with?", he asks as he counts off and bags each item.

"Me?", Tammy asks.

"No, the little old lady behind you. Who you think I'm talking too.", the store owner snaps at her.

"I'm at my sister's place on Via dei Riani.", Tammy answers.

"And who is this sister?", he asks sternly.

"Julietta Polancco.", Tammy answers.

"How that is possible?, You're red squirrel, the Polanccos are grey squirrels.", he tells her.

"I'm their sister from America.", Tammy answers.

"I don't believe you. I'm calling the police.", the store owner tells her.

Tammy pulls out her passport, and finds the picture Julietta had put inside, and the writing on the back. She hands the picture to him. He looks it over, reading the inscription on the back, "To my new stepsister Tammy, may this family be strong."

"So you her stepsister...", the store owner says.

"Yes I am. And I'm staying in Rome for a while. And if you want me to buy from this store again, you better be nice to me.", Tammy tells him as she takes her picture back. "So how much for this?", she then asks.

"Alright. Its... uhm…", he begins to say before punching the total key on the cash register. It rings up twenty-two euros. "Twenty-two euros.", he then says.

Tammy goes through her purse, going through the money in it, eventually pulling out a twenty-five euro bill. She hands him the money and gets three single euro bills back. She takes the bag of store bought items and walks away.

"Hey! How about a thank you!", the store yells at her.

Tammy stops at the door for a second, "When you learn to be nice to me, then I'll say thank you." She leaves through the door and starts her way back home.

She takes her time going home, looking over the scenery and noting certain landmarks in her memory. At the corner was a two-story house with a round tower twice its height. Turning the corner was four houses on the block with fences outlining their territories. Across the street was a long fence that went for the length of the block. The Polanco house has a small fence past an attached garage. She stops by the front of the door and looks around as she retrieves her keys. She manages to open the door in a couple of minutes, closing the door as she enters the house.

She was putting the food items on the table when there was a knock on the door. She walks to the door, taking a peek out the window, seeing a couple of police officers at the door. Checking the chain on the door, she opens the door until the chain catches is from opening any further.

"Can I help you?", Tammy asks.

"We would like to ask you a few questions and see some identification.", the closest officer says.

"And open the door.", the other officer says louder from behind.

Tammy closes and locks the door for a moment as she got her passport from her purse in the kitchen. It takes her a few seconds to trot to the door. She opens it with the chain still on it.

"Uhm... before I hand this to you, I want to see some identification from you both.", Tammy tells her as she holds up her passport to show them.

"We are the police, why do we need to show you identification.", the first officer says.

"I can buy your uniform from the local Halloween store, complete with badge, hat and radio for under two-hundred euros. Now prove to me you are police.", Tammy tells them.

They both look at her as is she was crazy. The second officer takes his radio and calls for supervisory support. It ends up with most of the precinct arriving. With over fifty police officers standing around, some being higher ranking officers, no one makes a move until the captain arrives at the scene.

The captain looks at his two officers at the scene and tells them to leave the area. He then turns to Tammy.

"Miss, can I ask you to open the door?", the captain asks.

"Can I see some identification first?", Tammy asks in kind.

"Can I ask why you want to see my ID?" the captain asks.

"Anyone can buy that uniform from the uniform places in Italy, and the radio at any electronics store. And I'm sure you know what has happened to us Polanccos as of late, so pardon my paranoia.", Tammy explains.

The captain nods and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his wallet and show his identification card to her. Tammy takes a second to read it before unchaining the door.

"Only you can enter.", Tammy says as she opens the door and hands him her passport.

The captain opens the passport and reads it as he enters the place. "Tammy Squirrel Polancco? American? Hmmm.", he says then finds the picture of Julietta and Tammy at the wedding recital. "To my new stepsister Tammy, may this family be strong? OK. I see no problem then. But can I ask what are you doing here instead of America?" as they both sit by the kitchen table.

"I'm looking for my little sister who was lost in the first family massacre.", Tammy explains.

"Wasn't she killed?", the captain asks.

"No. She survived the attack but she was sent from hospital to hospital and then to an orphanage and finally to a hospital. The paperwork there says she was sent to Rome but no reason was stated why she was sent here. Julietta gave me access to the house while I search for her.", Tammy explains.

"I see. Why did you not come to us about this?", the captain asks.

Tammy goes through her purse and pulls out her Rescue Ranger ID, handing it to him, "I have the IRAS and the American Embassy looking for her. Its been a long search.", Tammy asks.

"You're a rescue ranger?", the captain asks.

"I'm not rich like the rest of the Polanccos. And I'm only related by marriage not by blood. I work as a rescue ranger in America.", Tammy explains.

"I see. What do you do in case of building fire?", the captain asks.

"You establish a perimeter, survey the scene, ask witnesses to see if everyone is out, send in the tot-savers and start putting out the fire out by putting water on it from several places. But I'm a medical rescue ranger, not a fire fighter.", Tammy explains.

"I see. What are tot-savers?" the captain replies and asks.

"It's a group of fire fighters who run into a building to find children, babies, elderly and handicap people who might still be in the building. Since their primary goal is to find children and babies first, they are called tot-savers.", Tammy explains.

"Interesting idea. I'll pass it down to the fire department training corps.", the captain says.

"New York has been doing that since a very long time. Longer than I can remember.", Tammy replies.

"Alright. You pass. Now what to do with those idiots waiting outside.", the captain says almost to himself.

"I would not punish them, sir. But I would tell them that if asked for ID, they should show it. It does not have to be publicly known.", Tammy explains.

"Is this done in New York?", the captain asks.

"In fact it is because of a mafia murder years ago involving men dressed as police officers.", Tammy answers.

"Interesting. I may have to have a talk with your police commissioner.", the captain says.

Then he thinks before taking his radio out and dismisses the officers outside except for the two who started it all to wait by the door. He walks to the door seconds after the others had left. He opens the door to the two police officers outside. He curses them out and tells them of the new policy though stating it's an old one about showing identification when requested. He then orders them to walk inside the house and apologize to the famous American Rescue Ranger Tammy Polancco, part of the rich Polancco clan. They look at her in disbelief, the captain nearly shouts out his orders to them again and they follow them before being sent off outside again.

"Well, Ms Polancco...", the captain begins to say.

"Tammy. Its Tammy.", she tells him.

"Very well then, Tammy. Sorry for the intrusion. I'll see that they respect you a bit more.", the captain tells her. Then he pauses. "You have a picture of your missing sister?"

"I only have one of her. Hold on. I think there is a copier in some office somewhere in this house.", Tammy says, thinking about releasing one of her sister. "Give me a moment.", she says before running up stairs.

Tammy searches her things and finds a picture of Bink in a wheelchair with prosthetic limbs and a patch over her eye from the orphanage's report. She steps out of her room and looks for the office on the floor, finding it at the end of the hall by the bathroom there. The copier takes a while to warm up to get ready to copy the picture. Tammy makes a few copies and takes them to the captain down stairs.

"Took you long enough. I was about to leave.", the captain nearly jokes.

"I'm sorry. But here are copies of this photo of her. She's only ten years old.", Tammy tells him as she hands over the copies to him.

He looks over the pictures, seeing the girl in an awful condition in a hospital setting. His expression changes to serious concern as he sees the image on the paper. Then he nods, "I'll get my best men on this."

"I'm not expecting miracles, sir. But I thank you for your help. I believe that she may have had plastic surgery to fix her facial injuries and hid her prosthetics with a rubber skin. Other than that, I don't know. It's been over six months I have been looking for her and this is as far as I got.", Tammy explains.

"It's a little old but I'll see what my men can do. Understand that it will be difficult and like you not get very far, but we will try our best to find her.", the captain tells her, adding, "I do have to go. My men need me."

"Thanks.", Tammy says as she follows him to the door. "Captain Greco?", she then asks as he puts his hand to the doorknob.

"Yes?", the captain answers.

"You should check your ID. It's expired.", Tammy tells him.

"Huh?", the captain responds and then checks his identification. "I'm going to have to make a few phone calls then. Thank you.", he then says before opening the door and leaves.

Tammy sighs as she can hear them walk down the street to a nearby police car and drive away. She then leans against the wall and lets out a sigh. After a second she goes to the kitchen and gets things ready for dinner. Though early, she takes her time with a long over due home made dinner for her self as her mother taught her. She makes several dinners, putting much of it away in the refrigerator and freezer for eating another day. In doing, she relaxes and gets her mind off things and onto herself again.

When done she had completed several days of meals for lunch and dinner. This day's meal is done as well. She serves herself a tiny bit and takes it to the dining table. Beef and vegetables on wide noodles with dark thick gravy complimented everything. She takes a can of soda to drink with her meal.

After washing and putting away the plate, glass and eating utensils, Tammy walks about the house to explore what she has. Besides the two other bedrooms on the second floor with her, she finds two bathrooms on second floor, one bathroom on the first floor, and another bathroom in the basement. She also finds a washer/dryer combination set off to one corner of the basement in a tiny room and the rest of the basement furnished into a game room and entertainment center.

There was little for her to do. Italian TV was nothing but propaganda, news, boring soap operas, and stupid reality shows of merchant sailors being out at sea for way too long. The most she can do is study her map, and access Google map on her tiny laptop to study the city.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21: Where The Streets Have No Name.  
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It's been two weeks and Tammy gets the courage to take her electric bicycle out for a long distance ride outside of the Trastevere area. In the time she stayed in the area, she found almost everyone there to be total snobs, all wanting to kick her out of the neighborhood until they find out that she's related to the Polanccos and then they all want to be her friend.

There was little in the neighborhood of small tight streets except for small stores and delivery trucks blocking the streets when they come. Houses dot the blocks with large back yards, some being the fenced off block itself in some areas. One day in mid-March, dressed in her sweater and jeans, Tammy pushes her bicycle out onto the street. Having it lean against her, she reaches for the door and locks it. Straddling the bicycle seat with both feet on the ground, she grabs onto the handle bars and push off her feet to get rolling. With both feet landing on the pedals, she pushes on them and continues riding on the street.

After a while to get her self stabilized, she reaches for the thumb switch and flicks it on. With a slight twist of the handle, the bicycle picks up speed. She backs down to not go too fast to see and remember what she has past.

For several blocks she goes straight until she reaches a fence that stops her from going into the river. She stops and looks over the waist high fence, pulling out a map from her rear pocket. She looks at it, marking and studying the path where she would want to go. Folding the map and putting it back in her pocket, Tammy continues with her bike ride.

For more blocks than she can remember counting, the streets and sidewalks widen. She looks back at the path she had taken before continuing on her ride. In another few blocks she comes to an arched stone bridge, connecting to the other side of the river. She crosses it and continues for a longer while. There she finds the top of the coliseum over the roofs of the buildings in front of her. She continues her ride until she finds the coliseum fill up a street's end. She turns and heads for it until the streets run out of buildings and she is in its plaza. She pulls out her map and marks it, tracing back to where she met the river.

She gives the area one look around, noting where various landmarks were like lamps, traffic lights, and street signs before riding up to the coliseum and takes a right turn. She circles the huge stone historical artifact a couple of times before stopping just off her mark. She looks about and finds her landmarks and heads back to the street she came from. Not noting the time, it took her over an hour to get to the coliseum, and it's going to take another hour to get back. She manages to find her way home, but goes to the nearby store for a few things first.

With a bit of constant buying and exploring the neighborhood she makes herself a fixture to the area. Helping an occasional elderly lady reinforces her status as a nice girl. The next day she makes it past the coliseum and to the Piazza di Spagna. By the following week she makes it to the tourist center where the Roma Hilton was the center. Soon she was able to ride about Rome on her bike with relative ease.

A couple of times she thought she saw Bink, only to be out distanced by the cars she got into or hid into the crowd. She notices the others from the photographs as well. Eventually she decides to follow them partly, to find a pattern of travel, and then extend that travel once the pattern is found and added too.

She finds out that the cars enter through a gate at the far end of a complex that looks like a university or town hall. The building itself looks like one of the museums in New York, with high steps leading to a pillared foyer entrance. She locks her bike against a utility pole, taking off her helmet. She goes through her student shoulder bag and pulls out a couple of pictures with her together with Bink. She places them into an outside pocket to get access to them faster.

Gathering her courage, she takes a deep breath before starting to cross the street to the building. She climbs the stairs to the entrance and stops at the doors for a moment. She takes a look back to her bicycle before entering the building. The lobby looks like a waiting room, with an information counter at the front by a set of turnstile to the side of it. The only thing is, with the exception of a couple of clerks at the information counter and guards at the turnstile, the place was empty. She walks to the information counter.

"Welcome to the Social Work Agency. How can I help you?", a female clerk at the information counter says.

Tammy stops by information counter. "I want to see my sister. I know she is in here.", She tells the clerk, taking one of the pictures and putting it the top of the desk.

The female clerk looks at the picture, "If that is your sister, she is not here. No children are allowed here."

"I followed her here, to that gate on the side of your building, in a Porsche Boxer with an adult male mouse with black hair.", Tammy tells her.

"I do not know what you are talking about.", the female clerk tells her.

"Then tell me who I see who would.", Tammy tells her.

The female clerk picks up the phone; at the same time guards come out of the turnstile and surround Tammy from behind. "Yes. She says her sister is here. We'll wait.", the female clerk is heard talking on the phone. She then hangs up the phone. "Stay here. Somebody will be here to see you.", the female clerk says before walking away through a door behind the desk. The guards leave, including the ones at the turnstile.

A few seconds later, a female chipmunk in a dress suit carrying a laptop with a female squirrel, a female rabbit, and two male mice of who one wears glasses step out of the door behind the information counter and around the counter to stand in front of her. The female chipmunk takes the picture and looks at it before handing it to the rabbit behind her. The picture gets passed around to the others as the chipmunk speaks as she gives back the picture to Tammy.

"Tammy Polancco I presume.", the chipmunk says as the female rabbit frisks Tammy with a metal detecting wand. She then shakes her head, finding nothing on her.

"Though that is not my real name, how you know who I am?", Tammy asks.

The chipmunk opens the laptop and goes through the a few files. Then she turns on a media file and holds the laptop for her to see.

"This is Julietta Polancco for Taking Action. And I have a story for you to hear, know and take action. First, a little history, as you know, my father married almost two years ago to an American and they moved here, and eight months ago, they were slaughtered, in what we believe to be a political assassination because of his political beliefs. Through that marriage I gained a little stepsister who is also an American and this is her story. Since that time I did not know she has an older sister who stayed in America to live her life but stayed in contact with the family. When she lost contact with the family, she came here looking for them. Only a day ago did I discover that I have a second stepsister in search for our relative, from a criminal action against me that she stopped. You all have seen the news videos of her heroic act from the security cameras of stopping the thief and holding him until the police got there. And since she turned herself in to this TV Station, she collects the ten thousand euro reward. Everyone, this is Tammy Squirrel Polancco, who is a Rescue Ranger in America.", Julietta says from the device from a recording of the show. The laptop gets closed at this point.

"An American Squirrel looking for her sister lost in Italy. A noble gesture at best.", the female chipmunk says, "But she is not here."

"I followed her here. In a Porsche with an adult male mouse entering that gate over there.", Tammy tells her.

"She said your sister is not here!", the blonde male mouse tells her.

"Cool it Jean.", the male mouse with glasses tells him as they all look at him momentarily, then turn back to Tammy.

"I don't know where you got your information, but your sister Bink is not here. Go home.", the chipmunk tells her.

"My sister is in here somewhere and I will not stop until I find her.", Tammy tells her.

"Trespass into this facility and you will be arrested. It would be easier to make an appointment and discuss with us your predicament.", the chipmunk tells her, handing her a business card. "Interfering with government business is against the law. It would be better if we discuss this in a better setting than to be at odds with each other as we are now. Go home. Cool that head of yours down. Then make an appointment with me when you are in a more cooperative set of mind."

Tammy could only return a mean look at her.

"When you come here, check your anger by the door.", the chipmunk tells her. She signals to the group to leave. She stands there facing Tammy before leaving after the last one had went through the turnstile.

Frustrated, Tammy can only stay there for the moment before walking away. She crosses the street and unlocks the bike from the utility pole. After putting on her helmet, she rides away for home. She did not notice that those who she met with step out of the gate area and watch her ride away.

"Well people. We have a problem.", the female chipmunk says out loud.

"Then we terminate her.", the blonde male mouse says.

"She's not part of the Polancco crime syndicate. She's only looking for her sister." The female squirrel says.

"She interferes with our operations, I will have her terminated, by Bink herself if necessary.", the blonde mouse says.

"No, Jean. That is not the answer.", the other male mouse with glasses says.

"Then what is, Marco?", Jean asks in anger.

"She interferes, we capture her and send her home on a slow boat to China."

"That will do nothing. She will return.", Jean says.

"It will take her months for her to get back there. Until then we take care of the rest of the Polanccos and freeze their accounts. She will have no money to access and will take years to return.", the female chipmunk says.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22: Days Go By.  
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Tammy lays low for several days well into the month of April, knowing that Bink is so nearby she could taste it. In her bike rides, she keeps her distance from areas where she had found Bink and that adult male mouse. She buys a Nikkon D70 SLR digital camera with a 250MM telephoto lens and starts to take pictures. As her bravery grows over the days, she follows them to the SWA Building, keeping her distance and taking photos as she does. She manages to pictures of the Porsche Bink often gets in as it stops at the gate. Strangely she finds Bink enter a Pizza van, which also enters the compound but does not exit the facility.

A Google map of the area confirms it to be fenced off. In the rear of the area, she finds an area that looks like a junkyard. There were a couple of trailer boxes close to the fence. But the rear of the complex is in a private park like area. There were no roads, no sidewalks, just a lot of trees and over grown vegetation. Lucky for her it was easily accessible from the street.

Her first trip there she climbs up a tree close to the fence. Moments before she heard guns being fired in the area but it's now empty. There she looks about the area, finding the junkyard area but it was not junkyard area. It was an outdoor shooting gallery. She takes pictures of the area though there was no one there. She did manage to take pictures of the shooter's booth and the targets. There were a couple of buildings in the area she took pictures off. One large building in the background looked like it had medical personal in their lab coats enter and leave it. Because of the lay out of the fence, she could not see the building where the main building was according to Google maps. After a few hours she leaves for home.

She downloads the pictures into her computer and onto a photobucket account. After a few days of doing this, she tries for a nighttime mission and get into the trailers just on the other side of the fence. She figures that if she was arrested, that they would have to answer to the pictures she had collected on her camera. She was very naïve in that the power of governments can do to her if she was caught.

She takes a few nights of practice to get to the complex and to the tree she climbs. She did not know that every time she would enter the area, hidden cameras in the area were monitoring her. In fact she was followed home ever since that first day she walked through their doors.

She finds her tree by the fence with ease in the darkness. But as she rode to her spy point, her house is broken into and her things searched through, gathered and confiscated. The rest of the house was ransacked as she climbs the branches of the tree. Looking around she finds the place quiet and empty. She tries to climb to the end of the branch and manages to get to the fence by jumping off. She holds on and crawls her way to the trailers by jumping on one of them with a loud "thud!" She freezes in place and checks if she set off any alarms.

After several seconds of silence, she gets up and walks to the edge of the top of the trailer. She looks down and sees that its stack onto three other trailers under it. Thinking about the situation, she walks to the corner and grasps the edge of the trailer and letting her body down. Grabbing the sides of the corrugated corner she lets herself down slowly to the floor.

Looking about, she slowly walks around with her back to the fence, trying to stay out of lit areas. But she has no choice in order to get to the buildings; she has to cross the lit areas and cemented pathways. She finds a short building that looks like an apartment building, out of place with the other buildings. She picks up her camera to take a picture of it. Looking through the eyepiece, she finds the image to be that of a distorted kaleidoscope. She turns the camera to look at the lens and finds it cracked. She curses herself out for breaking it during her climbing around not careful enough to protect it.

A cold piece of steel being pressed to the back of her neck makes her freeze in place as a small hand reaches for the camera. In slow motion it is removed off her, her arms taken behind her and handcuffed by another set of small hands. She is led to the main building, finding the halls dark and taken to a room. Then there was a hard piercing pinching sensation on the side of her upper arm and her muscles go limp and reality clouds over on her.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23: Number 6.  
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Numb, dizzy and nauseous, Tammy finds her arms, waist and ankles tied to a chair in just her underwear. The room was dark except for the light that shone over her but she can tell by the shadows that she was not alone.

"Why were you trespassing on a government facility!", a male who's voice she barely remembers as Jean yells out. She tries to get the strength to answer but finds none as the sounds from her mouth was just a garbled growl of nonsense.

"Enough Jean. She's not out of it yet.", another male tells her.

"I Want Answers!", Jean yells out.

"And you will have to wait for them. Now leave.", the male orders him. In a few seconds there is the sound of a door slamming. A few chairs are heard sliding around her and things sound like things were dropped in front of her. "You were warned not to come here. Why are you here?", the male says to her much closer than before.

"Bink...", Tammy answers.

"Your sister is not here.", a female voice of the chipmunk she remembers answers.

"I... followed her... here.", Tammy replies.

The room was silent for a moment before the door is heard closing a few seconds later. Outside there was a discussion.

"When did this security breach happened!", the male voice is held back from yelling.

"We don't know, chief. At least a few weeks ago, when she arrived here.", the female chipmunk tells her.

"And why wasn't I alerted?!", the male voice is held back from yelling.

"We did not think she was a security risk, sir.", the female chipmunk replies.

"Think? Well now we have a problem. Don't we?", the male voice tells her.

"She's not a security risk. She is only looking for her sister and she found Bink here. I think we all would do the same thing if it were any of us.", the female squirrel comments.

The male scowls at her. "You deal with her as you see fit.", the male tells them before walking away.

The women stand there until the male was gone.

"We fucked up.", the female chipmunk says out loud to herself.

"We did not fuck up. We would have done the same thing if it were us.", the female squirrel says, adding, "Especially with her training as a Rescue Ranger."

"Thanks for the encouragement. But we still have a problem to deal with.", the female chipmunk says.

"I know Jean wrecked the house. Send a team to fix things up and bring her there with me. I will deal with it.", the female squirrel replies.

"What are you going to do?", the female chipmunk asks.

"I am going to have a talk with her and send her on her way home.", the female squirrel answers.

"We'll need 48 hours to fix the place. Especially how Jean tends to break things, you know.", the female chipmunk says.

"Then put her in one of the solitary cells in the basement until then.", the female squirrel says.

"Olga?", the female chipmunk asks.

"I'll git a weelchair for her." the rabbit says with a thick Russian accent.

In a few minutes, Tammy was put into a dimly lit room with padded walls with a toilet and a sink in a corner. A roll of toilet paper was on the edge of the sink. The door had a shelf with a sliding door. Chains against a hinge on the wall supported a fold up bed with a think blanket and a flat pillow. Tammy laid on it in a fetal position. At the corner by the ceiling was a camera on a loudspeaker box.

In the days that followed, food was sent through the sliding door by the shelf. She tried to open it but it was locked on the outside. On the third day a robe and towel were sent through the slot and door opens once she puts them on.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24: A Slow Boat To New York.  
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After being taken to a bathroom with a shower stall, Tammy is sent into the shower stall to wash her self off from being locked up for a couple of days. She takes the over hanging towel to dry herself off with before stepping out covering herself with the towel.

A female squirrel takes her by the arm to a fur-drying chamber, telling Tammy, "You don't have anything we have not seen on other female prisoners. Now get in there." With a hard push, the squirrel takes the towel off her hands and makes her stagger into the chamber. As soon as she gets up, hot air blasts out of the jets. After a minute the jets are turned off and an arm extends to the chamber with a robe in its hand. Tammy takes it and puts it on before stepping out. The female squirrel and female rabbit were waiting for her.

"You'll get your underwear and clothes after they get washed. Right now you have to eat.", the female squirrel tells her.

The female rabbit takes Tammy by the arm and leads her down a hall to a dining area with the female squirrel behind them. The female rabbit sits Tammy by a round table and the female squirrel puts a covered tray in front of her, lifting the cover off the tray. A bowl with a large square of Lasagna was there with smaller bowls of soup and vegetables. A can of soda was there, the brand she gets from the store, as the American Brands of Coke and Pepsi were harder to get in Italy, it seems to mock her. She picks up the fork and hovers it over the lasagna.

"Don't try anything stupid. My friend will shoot you if you do.", the female squirrel tells her as the female rabbit put her gun on the table – a large caliber Dessert Eagle automatic pistol.

Tammy looks at it for a moment before dropping the fork on the try. "I want to see my sister!", she lets out.

"We'll see what can be done though she is not here. But first you are to eat. Then you will be sent home.", the female squirrel tells her.

"Home?", Tammy asks.

"In America. Where else.", the female squirrel answers.

Tammy pushes the tray away towards the rabbit, "I'm not hungry."

"You are goink to eat or you will stay here until you do.", the rabbit tells her, pushing the tray back to her.

"You do not want to stay here in solitary confinement. And you will never see your sister then, now will you.", the female squirrel adds.

In those words, Tammy manages herself to start eating even though she did not want too. It took long for her to ingest her food, more than an hour to get it done.

"Now, that wasn't bad after all...", the female squirrel almost mocks her. She takes the tray and puts on a shelf at the end of the room.

A female chipmunk Tammy recognizes from before approaches her with her clothes wrapped in plastic, putting it on the table.

"I never seen anyone so clean.", the female chipmunk says.

"Clean?", the female squirrel asks.

"Yes, clean. There was no dirt, fur or dander. Not even her underwear was soiled with the usual body fluids.", the female chipmunk explains.

"There are people in the world who are like that, especially us squirrels.", the female squirrel replies.

"Regardless. She's clean. Too clean.", the chipmunk says to the female squirrel, then turns to Tammy, "Get dressed. We don't have all day." Tammy looks at the rabbit, then the squirrel, and lastly the chipmunk. "What's the problem? You shy or something? You don't have anything I have not seen on another woman. So take off that robe and get dressed.", the chipmunk throws at her.

Tammy takes the plastic wrapped clothes and rips open the plastic. One at a time she takes each items and lays them flat on the table until she gets her panties, which she puts on under the robe. The jeans were next though remains open for the time being.

Finding her bra, she takes it and draws her arms into the robe and manages to put it on. The t-shirt was next, which she also puts on under her robe but had to let the robe fall as she puts her head through the t-shirt's neck opening. Once on she reaches for the robe's belt and untie it. Her blouse was put on next and her jeans zipped, buttoned and belted. Her sox and shoes were last to put on.

"Only twelve year olds who are ashamed of their bodies dress like in gym locker rooms.", the female chipmunk lets out for all to hear. She turns to the female squirrel. "She's now yours. And stick to the plan.", she tells her.

"When have I failed you?", the female squirrel asks.

"You really want me to count?", the female chipmunk answers.

"I'll make sure she sticks to the plan.", the female rabbit says.

"Please do. If she escapes or gains too much knowledge, its all our heads.", the female chipmunk tells them before turning to Tammy and approaching her, "You were so talkative that day weeks ago. Now look at you. It's such a pity; we could have used somebody like you. Now you need to remember that you are not to ever come back here."

"I'll be back to get Bink, and I'll brings friends too.", Tammy growls at her.

"Oh really. Who will it be? Your rope climbing, ambulance driving, rescue ranger buddies? I think not. What you did will never happen again. The trees have been taken down and the fence electrified. So shut up before I decide to throw you back in that cell", the female chipmunk tells her.

"I like to see you try. My friends will be looking for me soon enough.", Tammy tells her.

The female steps up to Tammy and pokes her in the chest with her index finger, "In your words, 'Nobody knows you are here. You just got up and left. They probably think that you disappeared.' And in this basement, nobody knows you are here. Nobody." She takes a step back and about to leave the room.

Tammy's anger went up exponentially, making her charge at the female chipmunk with fists clenched tightly and about to pummel her. The female chipmunk sees the charging step Tammy was taking and gets into a quick martial arts stance, shifting out of the way of Tammy's charge, and sending a fist to her jaw that sends her to the floor faster than Tammy can realize it happening.

Tammy begins to cry, whether from the pain or the failure, it was hard to tell. The female chipmunk steps over her to walk to the door. She stops at the doorway, "Get that stupid bitch out of here before I decide to throw her back in that cell myself!" she then begins to walk away and down the hall.

The female squirrel steps up to Tammy and lowers herself down to her. She grabs Tammy by the arm. "That was stupid, attacking Ferro like that.", the female squirrel says before getting slapped across the back of her head. "OW! Why you did that?!"

"You mentionek our supervisor's name…", the rabbit tells her.

"It just slipped out.", the female squirrel says as she gets up. They exchange stares.

Tammy stops crying before they end their staring contest and slowly sitting up on the floor. They both turn and face Tammy. The female rabbit reaches over and grabs her by the arm and lifts her up in one move, putting her gun to Tammy's face. "Now don'k do anythink funny, or you be goink home in a woodenk box.", the rabbit tells her before shoving her to the doorway.

Tammy staggers a few steps to get her balance as the female squirrel steps up to her and grabs her arm to right her. She then leads Tammy out the door and down the hallway. In a few minutes they were leaving from one of the other buildings other than the main one and walks to the firing range. The range had men overlooking young girls who were firing assorted weaponry. Tammy is led to just up to the staging area. Everyone notices them and order the girls to stop firing. A male mouse in a trench walks up to them.

"What's the meaning of this intrusion?", the male mouse in the trench coat tells them.

The female squirrel lets go of Tammy, walking up to him and tells him softly, "Just showing our guest around. Seen Jose and Bink around?"

"They are where they supposed to be which is not here. Now take her to where she is supposed to be.", the male mouse tells her.

"Alright. Don't be such a grouch.", the female squirrel says to him. She returns to Tammy, taking her by the arm again and leads her out the shooting range. The girls in the shooting range begin their practice again.

In a couple of minutes they were at a parking lot inside the walled area of the compound. They walk to a modern yellow Volkswagen Beetle. The female rabbit opens the passenger door and sets the front seat down and points to the rear seat for Tammy to sit on. Tammy gets into the rear of the car to have the front passenger seat brought back up into position. The female rabbit sits on the seat as the female squirrel sits in the driver's seat. After the engine is turned on, they drive out of the parking lot, past the gate at the street and continue driving for a long time.

Soon they were driving along the river for many miles until they enter a shipping yard. Tammy remains quiet as they drive inside the shipping yard, passing by many shipping containers.

They pull up to a shipping container, which has its doors open. They step out of the vehicle and towards the shipping container. They take Tammy by the arm and lead her to just before the container's opening.

"This will be your ride home. Sixty days of peace, quiet and solitude to think about never coming back here again.", the female chipmunk tells her as she walks from behind the shipping container, carrying her backpack. She lifts it up slightly and hefts it into the container. "There's your stuff. Your credit cards however have been shut off so they will be useless to you. The ship's crew knows about you but it will take them a few days to find you. Hope you last that long.", she tells Tammy.

The female rabbit grabs Tammy by the shoulders and shoves her hard into the shipping container. Though she gets in, she trips where the container met the ground and falls hard against something that was inside. She gets up on her knees and shakes off the pain with her hand to her forehead of hitting something hard. She tries to turn around and run out the container but freezes at what she sees: Bink closing the containers doors with a male mouse behind her. She yells for her sister as the locking mechanism is activated and secured.

In the darkness she cries on her knees, but suddenly stops as the shipping container sways as a crane lifts it up off the ground to a couple of hundred feet and then is put down again. Several other containers can be heard placed on top of the one she is in. There were creaking noises around her.

She calms herself down for a while and starts searching inside the shipping container. She finds something large in there with her, feeling it shape she senses that it's a car. Slowing down her search, she feels for details and finds a door handle. It takes a while for her to figure out how to open it. Inside the car she finds the keys. Twisting it part way, it turns in the electronics. She examines the dashboard, finding a switch for the headlights. Pressing the switch lights up the inside of the shipping container brightly. She sees two more cars in front of her and a perforated floor above her with three more cars above on a metal perforated floor. Examining the car, she finds a trident on its steering wheel and the word "Masserati" on the passenger side glove box and on the trunk of the car in front of her.

She figures that she has a couple of hours of car light so she steps out and searches the shipping container, finding that all of the cars were of the same make and model of Masserati though in different colors and form; most were two doors, one was a convertible. She searches their trunks and finds an emergency kit with large flashlights and batteries. Turning off the car's electricity, she uses the flashlight instead. She finds energy bars in the backpack but not enough to sustain her for the two-month trip. She also comes to the conclusion about bathroom facilities are going to be very lacking. Her netbook erased to the condition it was when it came out of the box and all the paper evidence she had gone with only her personal papers in the binder containing the originals. But with nothing for her to do, she sits in the seat of the first car she was in and eventually falls asleep.

She wakes up hours later, confused, tired and hungry. But there was noise outside. To her ear it was noise like someone whistling and tapping something against the corrugation of the shipping containers in the distance. She goes to the car and opens its trunk, taking a tire iron out of from inside. She begins banging on the shipping container's door with the tire iron until she tires out. In a couple of hours the doors open. A thin cat in a nylon jacket with the ship's logo on its back and patches on his front right and arms with uniform pants stands on top of a set of forklift arms.

"How you got in there? Are you a stowaway or something?", the cat asks.

"No. It's a long story, but I was thrown in here.", Tammy says as she walks to the edge. She looks down and finds herself up some fifty feet on four other shipping containers marked with various car logos and the forklift on the arms of two other forklifts. The other shipping containers were also marked with various car logos.

"So what are you? Italian? Greek? Slovakian? Gypsy?" the cat asks but is interrupted.

"American.", Tammy answers.

"What were you doing in the Italy?", the cat asks.

"Looking for a lost relative. My sister actually.", Tammy explains.

"Looks like you made a few enemies. Lucky for you this ship is going to America. Someplace called New Jersey.", the cat explains.

"Alright. I think I can get home from there. How am I going to get down from here?", Tammy says and then asks.

"Right now that is not possible. We'll figure something out. But I need to report this to the captain. I hope you got some cash or can work on a ship.", the cat says.

"I can cook, and clean but I would like to talk to your captain about contacting my friends and family.", Tammy tells him.

"I'll tell him that.", the cat say before signaling for the arms to be lowered.

Tammy sits on the edge as he is lowered. After everyone has left Tammy climbs back into the shipping container and takes out a couple of energy bars.

Some six hours later, the cat returns with some news.

"I'm sorry to say this, but you're stuck there. The crane that could get you out is broken.", the cat tells her.

"How about I jump on the forklift arms?", Tammy asks.

"Don't!", the cat yells, "This is very precarious and if you jump on it we'll fall!", the cat tells her.

"But... What about food? Water? A bathroom?", Tammy asks panicky.

"I'll send a bucket for you to use as a toilet, and we'll figure out about food and water later. You need anything?", the cat explains and asks.

"I need to get out of here!", Tammy tells him.

"Look. I understand your predicament. You need to wait it out and see what we can do.", the cat tells her. "I'll be back but I don't know when.", he begins to get lowered.

"But...", Tammy tells him as he goes down.

"You're squirrel! Can't you hibernate or something?! I'll check on you from time to time but understand that this is a very large ship!", he shouts back up at her.

Tammy can only look at her resolve. If she forces herself into hibernation, she can take weeks off the trip, but she will be starving when she wakes up and the urge to go to the bathroom will be at its greatest. She takes an energy bar and head inside the Masserati.

She sleeps without realizing it and her mental state forces her into a light hibernation mode for a couple of days. So it begins, she goes on and off a hibernation cycle with food being brought in once in a while and a bucket for her bathroom needs. Cleaning supplies were also brought in for her to clean out the car she was sleeping in.

Days before the landing in New Jersey, the cat arrives with news of her to hide in the car's trunk and hibernate the days as they prepare to dock at the pier, the shipping container will be taken out of the ship and put onto a truck to a pick up point and the cars taken out one at a time and put on a car carrier to the dealership. At the point the cars are taken out and driver to a car carrier, she is to make her escape and run out of the docks and into town. She has one large last meal and use of the bucket and cleans up of the area she is in.

With a screwdriver she figures out how to unlock the trunk from the inside. She crawls inside with her backpack, closes the trunk and waits.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25: During The 60 Days  
-

Though the SWA tried, Julietta Polancco was not killed as she made herself an easy target out in the public. She would often state on TV that if she and her other sisters were killed it would be by the government. With the constant finger pointing and accusations, she guarantees that she would be safe. Every once in a while she would post a story about Tammy, her search for Bink and her disappearance from Italy citing government involvement somehow. She posted the video of the house in Rome being ransacked and rebuilt without her permission, asking why it happened though the ransacking of the premises proves something happened to Tammy.

Johan and Romeo escaped an attack by the SWA and made their way to France for the time being. They vow for revenge to who attacked them. For now they continue with their party bad boy ways.

The rest of the Polancco clan, all being women were left alone more or less. Though the SWA froze their accounts, it did not last long as Polancco's owns the banks the accounts were in and shut down the businesses and moved them to Switzerland. Tammy never got the information about the account change and thus Julietta Polancco holds on to her new credit cards until they meet again.


End file.
